


Down Like A Warlock

by ofgreyice



Series: Shadowhunters: After the Instruments [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Background Relationships, Character Death, College, F/F, How Do I Tag, Love, M/M, Multi, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), University
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-03
Updated: 2019-03-07
Packaged: 2019-10-21 14:40:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 51
Words: 67,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17644721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofgreyice/pseuds/ofgreyice
Summary: Around 25 years after Team Jace succeeds in defeating Valentine and his Endarkened Shadowhunter army, a new hybrid team consisting of Shadowhunters, vampires, warlocks, and werewolves emerges from the embers of their elders.Meet Team Rune - a loyal, brave, hard-working team of Shadowhunters and Downworlders working together to get missions done. The team is lead by Rune Lightwood, Isabelle Lightwood's daughter and a stubborn, fierce leader by nature, with her cousins and the Downworlders backing her up.Meet Rodrigo Santiago-Lewis - the adoptive son of Simon Lewis and Raphael Santiago. He's just a normal vampire - or so he thinks. As a member of Team Rune, there's a lot more to Rodrigo than meets the eye... But just how much of Rodrigo is hidden within realms best unvisited?With problematic werewolves, misbehaving Seelies, and a threat beginning to emerge from the embers of Edom, Team Rune has a hell of a fight on their hands. Secrets will be revealed, and new members will join - but just how far are they willing to go to break free from the mistakes of their pasts?That, they don't know, but they can still ensure that the legends remain true - and glittery, thanks to the Unholy Glitter Trinity.





	1. To All Downworlders, Great and Small

**Author's Note:**

> So this originally popped into my head as an idea for a oneshot, and then grew exponentially from there. There are 5 seasons overall, with them being split down the middle. Each season consists of 10 chapters, with the 5-part "City of..."s being in the middle (the titles don't mean anything, it's just a fun thing to have).
> 
> And the families are:
> 
> LIGHTWOODS:  
> Rune Lightwood (only child and daughter of Isabelle Lightwood and an unknown male Nephilim, 17)  
> Fiona Lightwood (youngest daughter of Clary and Jace, 16)  
> Heron Lightwood (middle child and only son of Clary and Jace, 18)  
> Alka Lightwood (eldest daughter of Clary and Jace, 21)
> 
> LIGHTWOOD-BANES:  
> Max Lightwood-Bane (eldest son of Alec and Magnus, a Nephilim, 20)  
> Jace Lightwood-Bane/Jace Jr (middle son of Alec and Magnus, a Nephilim, 18)  
> William Lightwood-Bane (youngest son of Alec and Magnus, a warlock, 15)
> 
> OTHERS:  
> Devan Garroway (eldest son of Luke and Jocelyn, a Nephilim/werewolf, 18)  
> Rodrigo Santiago-Lewis (only child and son of Raphael and Simon, a vampire, 19)
> 
> And you'll meet a lot more along the way!
> 
> The narrator/person who's POV this is from is Rodrigo Santiago-Lewis.
> 
> Enjoy :D

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet Team Rune! They're dysfunctional and full of crap, but that's what makes them work - although, when new enemies begin to appear on the horizon, what will they do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The narrator is Rodrigo Santiago-Lewis.  
> Enjoy your introduction to Team Rune and the mad world of Down Like A Warlock! :)

Rune Lightwood walks in the room, looking possibly more bored than Sebastian does, on any given day. She's carrying a folder, and looks like a unicorn's just sneezed on her, from the amount of glitter covering her clothes. I think I even saw a bit of glitter on her nose. She marches up to Sebastian, with an air of pure irritation.  
"You know that mysterious glitter you sent me to analyse?" She asks, holding up a small plastic food bag filled with reddish glitter, that sparkles like flames.  
Sebastian looks at the glitter, and then at Rune.  
"Yes..." He says, slowly.  
"Turns out Magnus goddamn Bane has been testing new magic on the glitter." Rune answers, spitting the words out.  
"And how in the hell did you get covered in said glitter?" Sebastian asks.  
This gets a small snort from William Lightwood-Bane, who's standing in the corner, glittering up a few sereph blades. Standard protocol for all the Shadowhunters now, to have glittery sereph blades. I can't help but laugh too.  
"I asked Magnus what he was doing, leaving all this glitter lying around, and he must've thought I looked a little dull, or something, and doused about fifty buckets of glitter on me. I don't even know how he can have that many." Rune answers, and William just about dies laughing. He's on the floor in a matter of seconds, unable to breathe as he's laughing so hard. Rune just glares at him.  
"Well, he is a warlock... And he has an unconditional love for glitter..." Sebastian replies, unable to give a better answer. Rune marches out of the room, likely to find a shower so she can wash all the glitter off.

It's 9pm when Magnus Bane and Simon Lewis arrive, having had an "interesting" discussion. Simon's covered in glitter, and looks just about ready to kill Magnus. Luckily, Devan Garroway is able to intercept and keep Simon in one corner, so Magnus doesn't get his pretty face bitten off. Magnus walks over to the collection of sereph blades (of which there are about a thousand, because Jace Wayland/Herondale/Lightwood insists on having at least forty blades to a single Shadowhunter), and peers at the quantity of glitter on them. He's smiling at most of them, and then frowns at the last one - the sereph blade belonging to Rune.  
"There's no glitter on this one." Magnus says, still frowning.  
Rune's a lovely girl and everything, but she's made it crystal clear that none of us Downworlders are to touch her sereph blade. We can't anyway, but she meant she didn't want any blood, spells, or glitter on it. William agreed to her demands quite a long time ago, and, as we all look at Rune's sereph blade, William's as good as his word - there's no glitter at all on the blade. Not a single speck.  
"Rune didn't want me to touch it... So I didn't." William answers, looking his father in the lemonade-yellow cat eyes.  
Magnus looks away, and then puts a single speck of his dancing flames glitter on the hilt of the blade. He smiles, satisfied that his work is done.  
"Let's see how long it takes her to notice." He says, to the lot of us.  
We all nod in silence, mentally agreeing not to tell Rune that there's glitter on her blade.

Magnus, William, Jace, and Max all leave, with William waving a sparkly goodbye to us. I wave goodbye too, and as soon as Magnus is safely out of the institute, and the door is safely closed, Devan steps away from Simon.  
"I know his glitter's too much to handle sometimes, but... Not worth losing him as a friend over." Devan warns Simon, who nods in partial agreement.  
Simon walks over to me, a smile emerging on his face.  
"Must be my birthday... You're not covered in glitter." He laughs.  
I look down at myself. I'm not. Odd. I've been near William all day, but I don't have any glitter on me. Then, I remember, William had purposefully not gotten any glitter on anyone - other than Fiona Lightwood. They're practically parabatai, but can't physically be due to William being a warlock, and Fiona being a Nephilim. There was a patch of bluish glitter by the door, left there by Fiona. It'd caught Magnus unaware, and he laughed as he discovered the blue glitter on his shoe.  
"How odd..." I smile, keeping William's kind act to myself. "Where... Where's Raph?" I ask, distracting myself.  
"In the apartment. He doesn't like leaving it... You know how he is." Simon replies, and I nod.  
"Unwilling to get his lady hands dirty for the sake of exploration?" I ask, and Simon just about manages to keep it together, laughter pinching at his cheeks. He nods, unable to speak, and we both walk out to the apartment, Devan waving us off.

The full moon emerges, and I get a text from Devan - "Hopefully today I won't go mental.". He seems rather ashamed that he's a werewolf, although his father has tried god knows how many times to reassure him that it's nothing to be ashamed of.  
I reply quickly, eager to listen to Simon and Raph's tales of what they did during the day - "Devan, if we have to tell you one more time that being a werewolf isn't a bad thing, I will get the Unholy Glitter Trinity to douse you in glitter.".  
My phone buzzes a split second later - "I wouldn't have it any other way ;)".  
I smile to myself. Maybe I will get the Unholy Glitter Trinity on Devan's furry werewolf ass. Or maybe not, as Isabelle Lightwood, Head of the Institute (and Rune's mother) is in the institute tomorrow.  
And, suddenly, my heart almost bursts.  
The speck of glitter on Rune's sereph blade...  
Oh, sweet, merciful Clave...  
Tomorrow is going to be hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did you think?  
> What are your theories?
> 
> Any and all feedback is appreciated! :D


	2. Adrenaline Junkies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rodrigo makes a mistake, and Devan runs off. How will the as of yet untrained Shadowhunters deal with their friend's disappearance?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How are you liking Team Rune so far?  
> While a few are unlikable, they get better toward the end of the story, so just bear with them :)

Dawn breaks, but I'm already at the Institute. I barely sleep, and it shows. Although, I am a vampire, so surely I don't need sleep? Lost in my own thoughts, I wander through the halls of the Institute, pretending to look interested at some painting of Jace Wayland/Herondale/Lightwood slaying some kind of serpentine monster. Max Lightwood-Bane was right - "Too much vanity was always Jace's problem.". After staring uninterestedly at said painting, and giving up on pretending altogether, I duck into the training room with a hiss as all the lights turn on. My favourite part of going to the Institute at 2am - and only reason I go that early - is because there's no lights turned on until 6am. So I get four entire hours of uninterrupted thinking time. It's usually quite cold, but I'm a coffin-dweller, so I'm used to it. Not that I'd like to be, but if you're me, you don't really have a choice. I look around the training room, searching for the best pillar to hide behind from all the light. When, eventually, I find the one I usually end up hiding behind, a pair of vivid green eyes stares back at me from the darkness. It takes all my energy not to let out a painfully high-pitched scream, in sheer shock, but I manage it anyway. I know those eyes. I know the pain in the glaze currently covering them.  
It's Devan Garroway.  
And he's off his face.  
Again.

Eventually, Devan comes to, and blinks at me, curious as to what on earth's happened, and where he currently is. He blinks again in the bright light behind me, and lies down on the cold floor, unwilling to do anything.  
"Jesus, Devan, what did you take this time?" I half-whisper, half-shout.  
Devan waves a hand tiredly at me.  
"I don't know... Who are you?" He asks, still clearly not in the right frame of mind.  
"Devan... It's me. Rodrigo. You're in the institute." I answer, a tear slipping silently down my face. I hate to see Devan like this. I don't know why he's doing this to himself (god forbid he even tells me a fraction of the story), and it's tearing me apart to see him like this, day in, day out.  
"Don't make that pretty face of yours blotchy, Royo." Devan says, weakly. I look at him, and the green eyes I'm so familiar with stare back at me, piercing, and alert.  
"You can't keep doing this to yourself, Devan..." I say, unable to stop shaking.  
"Hey, calm down... I might've snorted glitter by accident." Comes a weak reply from the floor, and I laugh shakily. He may be off his face, but he's still the Devan I know and love.  
"That'd be nice." I joke, and Devan laughs with me, weakly, but genuinely.

Isabelle Lightwood enters the Institute some time later, giving Devan enough time to recover and clean himself up. He looks almost mundane again when Rune marches in the room, the exact same amount of fury in her walk, the exact same amount of boredom playing on her face.  
"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." Devan whispers from behind me. It takes biting my cheeks to prevent me from laughing out loud in front of Isabelle and Rune.  
Rune darts over to her sereph blade - but, mercifully, doesn't look at it too closely.  
"I am here to thank all of you for preventing that attack on the Institute several days ago. Such immense bravery cannot go unnoticed - so, thank you. A simple, honest, thank you. Thank you to the Nephilim working around the clock - and an extra special thank you to our friends in the shadows, the brave souls that they are. You've all done yourselves proud.".  
With a twirl perfect enough to rival Fiona's, and a skirt so swishy Fiona herself would be - and likely is - jealous, Isabelle turns around, and leaves the room. As she leaves, it becomes apparent from the tension in the room that Rune's examining her sereph blade. Even examining her mystical Shadowhunter weapon, Rune looks bored. She has a resting boredom face game strong enough to knock out Lillith and still come back for Sebastian Herondale. Eventually, I feel a strong hand weigh itself down on my shoulder, and I turn around, to a cheeky faced Devan.  
"Don't tell her I snuck some of Magnus' glitter on her bow, will you?" He asks, somewhat urgently.  
"Of course not. Who do you take me for?" I reply, a small smile on my face.  
Devan shrugs.  
"You can never be too careful." He smiles back, before racing up to the arena, picking up a sword, and cueing up the next Eminem song from his phone.  
Rune walks to the opposite side of the arena, slightly glittery sereph blade in hand, and the remaining people in the room all sit down in the middle of the room, to watch the fight go down. I think I even heard Heron Lightwood say: "This is going to be good.".

Eminem starts rapping, the beat kicks in, and Devan becomes the unstoppable fighter that he is when listening to rap music. Rune's a brilliant fighter, by all means, but when faced off against Devan, all that's in it for her is humiliation. And Devan executes another flawless victory, with the entire room cheering and clapping. Rune shakes Devan's hand, to which he smiles, and returns to lurking behind my back.  
"I'm not afraid, not afraid, to take a stand, take a stand..." He raps to his himself, watching everyone else get on with whatever they'd been doing beforehand.  
"Why are you so afraid to take a stand against your addiction?" I ask, and them immediately hate myself for doing so.  
Devan freezes, and doesn't say a word.  
And, suddenly, I find myself lying on my back on the floor, blood trickling gently from a knife gash to my side, surrounded by the others in the room - with Devan nowhere to be seen.  
Fear kicks in, and my side no longer hurts.  
I may have driven away the only person who really understood me out of all these people.  
I may have driven away my lifelong best friend.  
I can't deal with the thought of that, and I break down, supported only by Raph's strong, comforting arms.  
This is why you never mention Devan's addiction.  
Maybe I had a panic attack, or maybe vampires do suffer from blood loss - but either way, I blacked out.  
The biggest agony that week was waking up.  
And seeing that Devan still hadn't returned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm thinking of uploading two chapters a day, is that good with you guys?  
> The chapters already exist in my notes, I'm just wondering when I should upload them all...  
> Let me know your schedule ideas and story theories :D


	3. City of Sweat and Regrets (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hunt is on for Devan Garroway, but how will Team Rune fare attempting to find him? Is such a quest too great for the mighty Shadowhunters?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rodrigo done goofed. Hopefully it isn't as bad as it seems.

The gash on my side, left so lovingly by Devan, heals quickly, and I'm discharged from the infirmary in a matter of hours. The emotional scars, though, will take a while to heal. Luke Garroway warned me once that Devan is quite touchy about his addiction - and I ignored the person who knew him best. It's crushing me to know that I'm responsible for his breakdown and subsequent running away - and although Luke forgave me very quickly, I know that his son is still out there, potentially terrified and in his werewolf form.  
"Sorry I ruined one of your best suits." I say quietly to Raph.  
He looks at me, studying me for a few moments. I flinch, thinking I've done something wrong - when his face allows a glimmer of a smile to emerge.  
"Look, Royo... If it were not for your rebelliousness, I would not know half the things I know now. Getting a bit of blood on a suit is nothing to a vampire. I do not mind at all." He says, and smoothens down the lapels of my new suit - given to me by Fiona Lightwood.  
"But... How frequently do you ruin suits?" I ask, unwilling to accept Raph's forgiveness.  
"I go through quite a few. I mean, I get blood on one every time I bite someone." Raph answers, after a brief five-second pause.  
I don't reply, and instead fix my gaze on Luke Garroway.

I fumble in my pocket for something - anything at all. I need to distract myself from the stress, and shock, of suddenly losing the only person coming close to a brother. My fingers brush my phone, and, instinctively, I grab it, and bring it out of my pocket. I turn the screen on, and only one message pops up - "GGGGLLLLIIIIIIIIIITTTTEEERRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!", followed by at least a hundred party popper emojis. It's obviously from William. I put my phone away, and walk up to Heron Lightwood.  
"You know how you're the good planner?" I ask him.  
Heron almost drops his sereph blade. Flattery is key when talking to any child of Jace Wayland/Herondale/Lightwood. Except for Fiona. She'll likely slap you if you so much as tell her she's pretty.  
"Y-y-yes..." Heron stutters, unable to believe someone actually thinks he's good at something.  
"Well, I'm trying to work out a plan to find Devan. Any ideas?" I ask, and Heron nods enthusiastically.  
"I'll draw up some plans!" He cries, and I go over to talk to the Unholy Glitter Trinity (minus William, who joins us fairly quickly).

"So, let me get this straight..." Magnus says, gesturing wildly.  
Fiona and William giggle at the word 'straight'.  
"You want us to help you get your werewolf boyfriend back, whom we have no reason to trust?" Magnus asks.  
I stare at him and all his glitter, affronted.  
"A) He's not my boyfriend. B) He's offended by the term 'werewolf'. He prefers 'big dog thing'. C) If this is a feud about the fact he dislikes glitter as much as Simon does, I'm going to bite your pretty face off." I respond, almost pissed.  
William spits out his water upon hearing 'big dog thing'. Both Magnus and I ignore him, but Fiona gives him a new glass.  
"Are you sure he's not your boyfriend?" Magnus asks, defeated.  
"So will you help me?" I reply.  
Magnus doesn't answer, instead he sprays my small dagger in his dancing flames glitter, which I know I can safely take for a 'yes'.

At nightfall, Luke, Heron, Sebastian, Max, the Unholy Glitter Trinity and myself are wandering around the city, wondering where on earth Devan could possibly be. Last time we followed a trail of rock music, we ended up in some form of strip club. Magnus sprayed glitter everywhere, which is sure to be in the news tomorrow. We've followed trails of non-Nephilim blood, and all trails have been either the dead bodies of Mundanes in dingy back alleys, or have been Raph and Simon out hunting again. Heron tried following a trail of a whitish looking powder, but ended up in Magnus' apartment - turns out the whitish looking powder was one of Magnus' old glitter experiments, and he'd accidentally tracked it everywhere. We traipse everywhere that could possibly be hiding Devan, until it gets too late, and the Nephilims need to sleep. Sebastian kicks open the door to a nearby church, and as we walk inside, our noses wrinkle at the smell.  
"God, it smells like sweat and regrets in here." Luke remarks, from the back.  
"Doesn't the ENTIRE CITY smell like that?" Max asks, shortly after.  
We set up camp for the night (although Heron insists that we may be here for at least a month, we all ignore him), and Sebastian gathers us all in the middle for a pep talk.  
"So, to recap... Royo said the wrong thing, and Devan went on a mad--" His sentence is cut short by the Unholy Glitter Trinity, sprinkling glitter everywhere to make the church seem more 'homely'.  
"Rampage, injuring Royo, and sauntering off to god-knows-where." Sebastian continues, as if nothing happened - as if two warlocks and a Nephilim aren't coating the entire church in three feet of glitter.  
"That's blasphemy!" Heron cries.  
Sebastian rolls his eyes, clearly not caring.  
"What else do we know?" He asks.  
I think for a moment, and then begin: "Every rock music trail we've followed has lead to strip--"  
"GLITTTERRRRRRRRR!"  
"Clubs and bars." I add.  
Luke nods, and adds: "And he must be out of supply, because the whitish powder was--"  
"F is is friends who glitter stuff together..."  
"U is for you are glittery..."  
"N is for any glitter at any place at all..."  
"Out here in the City of Glitter!"  
Luke blinks a few times, and continues: "He must be out of supply, because--"  
"THAT'S NOT EVEN GLITTER! DO I EVEN KNOW YOU?!"  
Luke blinks again, and tries his utmost hardest to keep his cool: "He must be out of sup--"  
"Bro... Do you even glitter?"  
Luke can't take it anymore: "Alright, that's it!".  
It takes all of Heron's, Sebastian's, Max's, and my strength to hold Luke back. He may be a cop, but his werewolf side certainly makes him pretty strong. After restraining and quarantining Luke, it's a mutual agreement between Sebastian, Max and I to call it a day. Heron was too busy attempting to shove the glitter out of the door to listen to the discussion.

As we all find our beds and sleeping quarters, and the Unholy Glitter Trinity make little sleeping holes in the six feet of glitter now covering the church floor, I can't shake off the feeling of being watched. Not by the seven other people with me, but by someone else. I flick my gaze to one of the windows in the church ceiling, and I can just about make out a pair of venom green eyes.  
Devan?  
I blink, and the eyes are gone.  
Devan!  
The eyes were unmistakably Devan's, but I can't tell if I was hallucinating or genuinely seeing them. I decide to try and get some sleep, along with the others, and successfully fall asleep. Something jolts me awake about an hour later.  
A low, mourning growl, that carries on for a minute or so.  
It's definitely not Luke, as he's still asleep.  
It's Devan's howl, but...  
Am I still dreaming, or is Devan outside, lost and afraid?  
I'm not sure I know anymore...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think?  
> Will they find Devan, or is he doomed to stay a werewolf on the loose?


	4. City of Sweat and Regrets (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rune Lightwood assumes control of her team and begins a new way of trying to find Devan. Things don't exactly go according to plan, though...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: This was the final of the five "City of"s to get a name.

I can't sleep for fear of Devan being alone and vulnerable, and I can't sleep for fear that I may be hallucinating. I eventually decide to just curl up in the glitter, and wait for the sunlight streaming in the windows to burn my back. However, it's not even light when the church door gets kicked in, and all the glitter is drained, like water going down a plug. The bluntly bored face of Rune Lightwood stares back at me, with a new Nephilim by her side. Must be a new addition to the Shadowhunters, unless a fellow Institute member has a sibling I never knew about. For a second, it crosses my mind that this new Nephilim night be a sister of mine - she may not even be a Nephilim - until I see the runes covering her arms and neck. She's sensible enough to wear concealing suits, much like Fiona's. I haul myself up from the church floor, and approach the new Nephilim. She flinches slightly upon seeing my fangs, and backs away slowly. Perhaps I look affronted at this, or maybe Rune can read minds, but Rune steps forward, and shoves me backwards, with a hard push to the chest.  
"You Downworlders are equal to us Nephilims, and I'm all cool with that - just don't scare the new ones, OK?" She asks, eyes suddenly somewhat pleading.  
"Oh, does she... Does she not know about your previous exploits?" I say, respectfully dropping my voice.  
Rune's face drops a little, but she gratefully acknowledges my respectful voice drop with a small, curt nod. I nod back, and step away, giving Rune the opportunity to bring the new Nephilim forward into the middle of the church.

"ALRIGHT EVERYONE, LISTEN UP!" Rune yells.  
This sure as hell wakes everyone up, with the Unholy Glitter Trinity groaning slightly in tiredness. Within a few moments, Luke and Max are on their feet, shortly followed by Sebastian and Heron. They blink upon seeing Rune awake and alert, and then the realisation of a new Nephilim in their midst hits home.  
"Why is there a new Nephilim? All new Nephilims are supposed to be in the Institute!" Heron cries, then yelps after being elbowed in the rib by Sebastian.  
"He does have a point, though." Fiona adds, groggily. She's the first of the Unholy Glitter Trinity to be awake and alert - the other two are still dozing off.  
Rune sarcastically goes "I'm so sorry, I didn't realise", before introducing the new Nephilim as Sophia Carstairs. Everyone respectfully nods, and William, now also awake and alert, steps forward to glitter Sophia up.  
"There." He says, smiling. "Now you look like one of us.".  
Rune groans, but continues with her mini-lecture anyway.  
"Devan Garroway has gone missing, and we all know who's to blame."   
I groan, head hidden in my hands. I know it's my fault, I just wish everyone would stop rubbing it in.  
"We have to find him before the Clave does. If the Clave finds him first, it won't be pretty."  
Something erupts inside me. What if he's gone to the Clave? They did offer him refuge once when he'd lost it, but he'd refused, and slept at my house, as he hadn't lost it with me. What if he's now taken the Clave up on their offer?   
"Should we ask the Clave, just in case they've seen him?" Fiona asks, seemingly remembering the same set of events.  
Sebastian shakes his head.  
"Then they'll know we're looking for him too, and will double their efforts to find him." He answers.  
Silence descends upon us all, as we all get lost in our own thoughts.

The morning's livened up a little by the Unholy Glitter Trinity making a statue of Jace Wayland/Herondale/Lightwood out of glitter, but that novelty soon wears off, and everybody's soon back to sullenly continuing thinking. That is, until a pair of vivid green eyes, with a pained glaze over them, slams against the window. We've found Devan - now to stop him running off - again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theories, thoughts, criticisms?
> 
> Any and all feedback is appreciated! :D


	5. City of Sweat and Regrets (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a new werewolf in town, and Luke is determined to put them in their place. Although, they could be the key to finding Devan, so the alpha has to stay down for a while...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The hunt for Devan continues!
> 
> Fun fact: Devan Garroway and Rune Lightwood were created by friends of mine.

Something's wrong in the air around me. Something's not quite right. I stare at Devan's face, poring over every tiny little detail - until I notice that there's a small error on his chin. It's a photo - and the real Devan is still nowhere we know of. I yell out in horror, shock, and anger, and there's a loud howl from behind me. Luke's just realised that it's not Devan too. One by one, all of the Shadowhunters and the Unholy Glitter Trinity, realise that we've been tricked, and spectacularly so. There's a padding of inhuman and non-Nephilim footsteps, followed by a crashing noise from outside, and looking out of the window, Magnus winces. I follow his gaze, and see that Luke's tackled the kids who'd put the sign up. He starts sniffing the sign, and lets out a low growl. We all watch as he drags the sign back inside, and drops it on the floor.  
"Alright, who wants to be the first to touch it?" Heron asks.  
No-one answers. There's a smell of wet dog, and I realise Luke stepped in a puddle when dragging the sign back. I step forward, gingerly, and flip the sign over to the back. There's some claw marks - totally unlike Luke's -, bite marks, and some words. Sebastian and Max sit by me, attempting to translate the code, while Luke stares at the claw marks.  
"C... L... A..." Sebastian trails off, his face paling.  
Max catches on, and gulps.  
"The first letter of every word spells out 'the Clave has him'." He says, slowly, and a few tremors go through his body in fear.  
Rune, Sophia, and the Unholy Glitter Trinity gasp. Luke lets out another low growl, and Max turns to him. After pawing on the ground for a while, Luke's managed to scratch the name of a werewolf into the floor - Lister Ryder.  
"Lister Ryder?" Magnus asks, peering at the floor. "But didn't Rune accidentally kill him three years ago?".  
"Obviously not." Rune replies, shaking her head.  
I'm too busy thinking of how this could correlate to Devan's disappearance in anyway, when there's a small yell from the back.  
"I think you're all missing the point!" William yells.  
We all turn to face him.  
"Oh, yeah?" Heron yells back.  
"Think about it. The sign says that the Clave have Devan - and the claw marks belong to Lister Ryder. Lister was notorious for working secretly with the Clave, ergo Lister must have delivered Devan to the Clave." William hollers.  
Heron looks visibly deflated.  
"Oh, yeah..." He says, slowly.  
"So if the Clave have Devan..." Sebastian begins.  
"Things just turned ugly." Rune answers, pulling out her Sereph blade.  
Sebastian jumps at the sight of her Sereph blade, and Magnus peers interestedly at the hilt. When Rune turns it slowly to the light, I can see what Magnus was looking for - the speck of his dancing flames glitter, that obviously still hasn't been noticed. Almost everyone looks a little perturbed at seeing Rune's blade, me included.  
"Jesus. Do you always have that thing on you?" Max asks, after a while.  
Rune nods.  
"Gotta be prepared for any emergency." She answers, with a cheeky wink.  
Max goes bright red, and Sebastian slowly pushes the blade in the direction of the floor.  
"Speaking of which, when are we going to go kick the Clave's ass?" Rune asks.

About four hours later, we're all trekking through Brooklyn, trying not to get noticed. In order to protect myself from the sunlight, Max smothered me in suncream, and put Luke's huge coat on me. Luke just looks like an oversized dog walking with us. A few people do come up to William (as he's the only one that can be seen), and ask if we're sure that's a dog, because it looks awfully like a wolf, and William simply replies saying that he's unsure of the breed, but Luke is very friendly. He offers one lady the chance to stroke Luke, and Luke indignantly lets her pet him. When the lady leaves, there's a loud, low growl, and we all laugh. Eventually, we reach a small bar on the outskirts of Brooklyn, which was where Lister was last seen alive. Maia nods at us, and we go into the back, after smelling a rather foul scent, that can only be of another wolf.

A jet black wolf sits alone in the back room, snoozing gently. After a gentle nudge in the side from Max doesn't work, I tap its nose, and it wakes up with a shudder. Upon seeing us all in its space, it begrudgingly turns back into a mundane, and Rune starts shaking violently. From Rune's reaction, most of us know it's Lister, and Luke pins him to the wall, growling and bearing his teeth each time he tries to escape.  
"What can I do for you?" Lister asks, through gritted teeth.  
"The sign. Your claw marks. Devan's disappearance. Now." Sebastian answers. When it comes to things he cares about, he doesn't mess around.  
Lister laughs, coldly.  
"What about them? Devan got what was coming to him, and the claw marks were a token of my gratitude." He answers, a wintry smile on his face.  
Luke growls loudly, and scratches Lister's left arm. It doesn't have any effect other than making Lister growl back.  
"What did you do with him?" Sebastian asks, almost growling himself.  
"Did you even bother to read the sign?" Lister replies, still smiling despite the steady stream of blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth.  
Rune manages to stop shaking enough to grab Sebastian, and haul him away from Lister. I grab his other arm, and Max grabs his back.  
"Why would you give him into the Clave?!" Sebastian cries.  
Lister just smiles.  
"What if *I* didn't? What if it was your pretty little bartender? What if it was that Shadowhunter there? What if it was one of your own, back at the Institute? What if he went of his own accord?" He asks. Upon saying 'Shadowhunter', he nods at Rune, who recoils and makes a small hissing noise.  
"But he didn't. You wouldn't leave the claw marks if he did." I say, stepping forward.  
A small flicker of fear flits through Lister's eyes. He tried to manipulate us, and it didn't work. Through being near-choked by Luke, he manages to put together a sentence or two.  
"The Seelie Queen... She has him..." He says, gasping.  
Luke lets go of him, which induces a large coughing attack. No-one says anything. Simon was sentenced to spend half of every year with the Seelies... But he may be there, and he may know where they've put Devan.  
"Was that so hard?" Rune eventually asks, a brave smile on her face.  
Lister doesn't answer through coughing, but gives Rune a death stare. She returns it with a cold smile, then turns on her heels and walks out of the room.

"Should we visit the Clave, just in case he's lying?" I ask, a few moments later.  
"From what I can tell, he does still work for the Clave, so it's worth a shot." Rune replies. Everyone downs their drinks, pays Maia, and then heads off in the direction of the Clave. I'm just hoping the Clave will be kind to us this time, and tell us where Devan is. I was thinking of talking to Luke as to why he was so hostile to Lister...  
But I know better than to ask.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any and all feedback is appreciated :D
> 
> Would you like the fun facts at the start or end of the chapters?  
> (You'll get better facts at the end because they'll be about the chapter and therefore not spoilery, but the ones at the start will be more general, so... It's up to you!)  
> Or should I do away with fun facts completely?


	6. City of Sweat and Regrets (Part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Rune decides to take Lister's advice and visit the Seelies, and an ally returns... Can Rodrigo make things right, or will he mess it up again?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: Rodrigo shares the same birthday as me, but he's two years younger.

I can still smell Lister's scent on me long after we leave the bar. It unfortunately doesn't do Luke justice that he smells a lot like Lister - or at least, he does to me. Rune leads us all to the place we know as the Clave's headquarters, and tightens her already firm grip on Sophia's left shoulder. God knows what Sophia's parents will do if we lose her. Magnus' breath hitches slightly as we walk deeper into the headquarters, Luke's ears falling in hopeless fear. Downworlders fear the Clave, and for good reason. If we aren't tense already, we certainly are when Rune stops, respectfully, at the main entrance.   
"A Shadowhunter?" The 'receptionist' gasps, surprised. Obviously Shadowhunters don't show their faces around the Clave as much as they used to. It's probably due to the legalisation of the new Accords, that ruled Downworlders and Shadowhunters as equals (and Jace Lightwood/Herondale/Wayland couldn't say otherwise).  
"Yes, how very observant." Rune replies, not missing a beat. "Have you seen Devan Garroway?".  
The receptionist's face pales. Devan has a reputation, but not one enough to yield that sort of response. It takes every ounce of energy I have not to bear my fangs and snarl. If I've learnt anything from Rune, it's that bearing fangs and snarling is not only a good intimidation technique, but will also scare the living daylights out of whomever you do it to - thus meaning you're much less likely to get the answers you're after. Rune makes an inhuman noise that sounds a lot like a snarl, and whatever colour that may have been left in the receptionist's face abandons ship.  
"Have. You seen. Devan. Garroway." Rune asks, coldly.  
The receptionist is too frightened to speak. Instead, they shake their head, and point at a 'WANTED' poster, showing the Seelie Queen.  
Fiona and Magnus growl this time. Lister, for once in his miserable life, had told the truth.   
"Simon's likely down there. He's got that weird half-year sentence thingy. Like what Hades did to that woman in the mythology. It drives Raph nuts, but it's over before he knows it." I explain.   
Rune nods grimly, and Sophia dutifully pulls out her sereph blade.   
"To the Seelie Court it is."

A firm hand places itself on my right shoulder. It's unfamiliar and uninviting, and looking up, belongs to a much older, much more dangerous looking vampire - evidently working for the Seelies. He peers at me for a few moments, before cracking a wintry smile.   
"You're the Santiago-Lewis kid, aren't you?" He asks. His voice is hoarse and rough, and the others are too far away (flirting, seducing, flattering, and threatening the Seelie Queen to get Devan back) to hear if I yell.  
Fear now coursing through my veins, I nod in numb shock. The vampire's evil smile only grows, and he drags me roughly into an unpleasantly well-lit room. To my surprise, the only other inhabitant of the room is Simon. He runs up to me, and hugs me tightly, before the wintry vampire tears me away.  
"Is this your son?" The wintry vampire asks, voice dangerously innocent.  
I can see Simon mentally weighing up his options. Say no, and let me become another mindless pet for the Seelies, or say yes, and see me be killed? Neither are good options. He flashes me a look of the utmost regret, and speaks.  
"Yes." He says, simply. He looks crushed.  
"Do you know what happens to vampires who wander down here without the Queen's permission?" The wintry vampire asks, voice now rising a few octaves.  
Simon bites his lower lip, his fangs piercing it at a painful angle.   
"Technically, the Queen never said he couldn't be down here. In fact, I meant to introduce them to each other, but I never got round to it." He replies. He's stalling for time now, hoping that the Queen - or Rune's well-organised team of new-generation Shadowhunters that I call my friends - show up and end this madness.  
Neither show up, and instead a blur of brown fur tears the wintry vampire and I apart, forcing me into Simon's arms. It takes him by surprise, and we both fall to the floor. The brown blur makes quick work of the vampire, tearing it to shreds in seconds. When it turns around, its piercing green eyes stare straight back into my own terrified grey. In that one, perfect moment, it seriously considers checking if we're both alright - but better judgment must have left it, in favour of leaving the crime scene.

"So what did we all get from this?" Sebastian asks us, back at the church we're using as our base. Everyone looks beaten, bruised, and battered. I've never seen Rune so bloodied in my life, and judging by the reactions of everyone else, neither have they.  
"I got kidnapped by a vampire who threatened to kill me, before he got his ass handed to him by Devan, in wolf form." I recounted.  
This gets everyone's attention. Even Luke (still in wolf form), who'd virtually fallen asleep.  
"So Devan's the smartass we all know, and isn't letting himself be a Seelie slave." Rune says, after a while. We can tell it pains her to speak, but nothing is stopping her from being a better leader than Sebastian.  
Raph and Simon walk into the church, Simon looking rather concerned. Raph prays quickly, and then returns to his husband's side.  
"Have you noticed there's a wolf on the roof?" Simon asks, more shocked than anything else.  
Everyone stares at me. I nod, numbly.  
"I'll handle this." I say, and walk out of the church, Raph and Simon watching me as I face what could easily be my death (for the fifth time today).

The roof of the church is corrugated, but strangely comfortable. The moonlight bathes me and the wolf in a cool white glow, and the wolf seems to be basking in it, almost asleep. It looks so peaceful, but I know there are matters I must fix. I nudge it gently, with a palm, and its ears prick up. It's a few seconds before its eyes open, but those piercing green eventually meet my cold grey.  
"Devan..." I breathe, slowly. He doesn't look hurt, just slightly shaken.  
He growls a little, and readjusts the way he's lying on the roof.  
"There are all manner of things I need to say, but I don't know how." I begin.  
Devan blinks at me, then turns his attention to the moon. I look at it too, feeling strangely calm as I do so. I turn back to Devan, who thankfully turns back to me in return.  
"I just... What I said that day was wrong, and I apologise.".  
Devan looks away.  
"I'm sorry for pushing you, I'm sorry for making you run off, and I'm sorry that you may have been pursued by about fifty different species all out for your blood.".  
Devan doesn't move a muscle.  
"We've been looking for you for two weeks now, and we all thought you were dead or a Seelie slave, or in one of the Clave's many cells.".  
I put a hand on Devan's right paw, causing him to tense up, but he doesn't pull away.  
"I prayed to whatever higher being out there that you'd be alright. You're my best friend, and it tore me apart to know that you'd gone.".  
Devan permits himself to make a sad-sounding growl.  
"Please look at me.".  
He does so, his green eyes so wide and hurt that they break my heart. It's hard for me to hold back the tears threatening to spill, but I manage it.  
"Please..." I beg, voice breaking. "Please come home.".  
The only response I get is the soft sound of paws landing gracefully on the hard tarmac of the ground, and I finally let the tears flow free.  
I feel like a failure. Not even Raph's strong, comforting arms help this time.  
I just sob until there's nothing left to cry with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the start of 1B (last chapter was the end of 1A), and I'll be uploading up to the end of 2A today, to compensate for not uploading recently.
> 
> Oh, and I forgot to mention, the Sebastian in this is named Sebastian Hamilton, and he has no affiliation to Jonathan Morgenstern or Sebastian Verlac.


	7. City of Sweat and Regrets (Part 5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the chaos that was Devan's search party, Team Rune return to the Institute and work out how they're going to go from there. Friends catch up, new friends are made, and questions are asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: Lister Ryder was named after Lister from Red Dwarf. The Ryder, embarrassingly enough, came from Paw Patrol. My young cousin loves it, so it randomly popped into my head one day and here we are.

Sobbing isn't easy. Especially not when you're sobbing over your best friend leaving you. It's a general rule of thumb among vampires to keep your emotions to yourself - apparently that used to be the case for Shadowhunters too, until Alexander "Grumpy Cat" Lightwood went 'to hell with it' and kissed Magnus Bane full on the mouth. But while I may be a vampire by non-flowing blood, I'm certainly not one by non-beating heart. What kind of vampire befriends a werewolf, then messes it up and sobs over their exit?  
"Rodrigo..." Rune's voice breaks my thoughts, and I look up into her bluish eyes.  
"What? Shouldn't you be yelling at the Unholy Glitter Trinity?" I ask her, not wanting to speak to anyone. This causes her to laugh, and I realise that I've never actually heard her laugh before.  
"For once, they haven't actually done anything. Magnus healed most of what I got from the Seelie Court, and William and Fiona kept their distance." Rune answers, a smile still playing on her face. "Anyway, I meant to say - don't keep your emotions locked up. Raph knows how much it hurts, and he's your father, so there's a bonus." She adds.  
I look away.  
"But, Rune --" I begin, before Rune holds up a bloodied finger, silencing me.  
"I'm sure Devan will come back to us eventually. He just needs time." She says, but her finger is shaking, and her voice is wavering. It's clear that both of us are hanging onto hope that isn't there.

Luke visits me, this time in mundane form, the next night. He's clearly tired, but more than happy to talk.   
"Good, ah, afternoon, Mr Santiago-Lewis." He greets me, greatly exaggerating his bow.  
"Good afternoon, Mr Garroway." I reply, greeting him with an equally ridiculous bow.  
We both stare at each other solemnly for a few moments, before we burst out laughing. Raph walks in to see who's being murdered, and growls a little upon seeing Luke, but doesn't say anything.  
"Ah, Fangs." Luke says, smiling slightly at Raph.  
"Ah, Good Dog." Raph replies, with no hesitation.  
Both size each other up, then realise how ridiculous it would be to start another war, about 20 years after the last one was cleared up, and the new Accords were legalised. Raph holds out his hand with a good deal of uncertainty, but Luke shakes it, warmly.  
"Do take a seat. I hear it is less than -10 degrees outside today." Raph starts, and gestures toward the living room.  
"Don't you vampires live in subzero temperatures anyway? Those coffins can't be very warm." Luke retorts, and begins walking into the living room.  
"Well, since I discovered what a bed was, I have preferred being warm, and lying in past 4am." Raph replies, eliciting a loud laugh from Luke.

"So, why does Devan react that way to anyone mentioning his drug addiction?" Raph asks, taking the words right out of my mouth.  
Luke shifts a little on his seat.  
"I think it's because he accidentally killed his brother after turning into a wolf for the first time. We found his DNA on everything, but the police let it go, as they said there 'was no such thing as werewolves'. That's the only time in my life that I'm glad mundanes are so... Well, mundane." Luke explains.  
"You did not call the Clave?" Raph asks, incredulously. He actually sounds impressed.  
"Goodness knows what they'd've done to him." Luke replies, bitterly.   
I silently agree with Luke, and I can tell Raph does too.   
"Is it bad that I... I don't like the fact I'm a vampire?" I ask, after a while.  
Raph looks at me, and he allows a glimmer of a smile to appear on his face.  
"No, pequeño. Sunshine did not like it at first either." He answers.  
With that, I relax. Until Raph's phone pings, and he groans. He turns the screen toward me and Luke, and we read it in unison.  
"Went to ask Magnus for help finding Devan, but instead got ambushed by the Unholy Glitter Trinity, and Alec is currently restraining me from killing Magnus.".  
Luke bursts out laughing. Raph, however, looks unimpressed.  
"I'll be right back." He says, promptly.  
"Why?" I ask, suddenly feeling very clingy.  
"I have two warlocks and a Nephilim to kill." He replies, making Luke laugh even harder. I have to bite the insides of my cheeks to prevent myself from laughing, but eventually it becomes too much, and I'm on the floor crying with laughter before I know it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Pequeño', the nickname that Raphael gives his son, Rodrigo, is Spanish for 'small'.
> 
> (Additionally, the name of the eldest Clace child, 'Alka', is Arabic for 'diamond').


	8. All That Glitters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Glitter, glitter, everywhere. Magnus goes insane with the glitter, and Rune makes a hard decision - will it be wise in the long run, or is she dooming herself to a vampire's addiction?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: This series is heavily based off the TV series Shadowhunters, rather than the books, but parts of the characters' characterisation, such as Magnus' unhealthy obsession with glitter, come from the books.

Rune storms into the Institute, an aura of annoyance following her all the way. It's not out of character for Rune to act like this, but it certainly makes us all flinch. She's holding her Sereph blade, and it's glowing. I have to strain my eyes to make out the speck of dancing flames glitter, that is now certainly embedded in the hilt.  
"Who let Camille out?" She asks, breathlessly. She still hasn't quite recovered from the skirmish at the Seelie Court (god knows what they did to her there), but she's still going. She's Isabelle Lightwood's daughter alright.  
"Ah, look who it is." Sebastian's voice comes from the back. "It's Rune 'the Seelies can go to hell' Lightwood.".   
William and Fiona press their lips together and bite their cheeks to stop a laugh escaping.  
"What, is hell full?" Rune asks, coolly.  
"No, it's just the way you charged into a bunch of the Seelies. It made it look like you had a death wish." Sebastian replies, not missing a beat.  
Rune smiles a little.  
"Wouldn't you, if one of your best friends was missing, and another of your best friends was practically killing himself with guilt?" She asks. Her Sereph blade cools down, and the glow fades. She places it gently on her Sereph blade rack. "Anyway, Camille got out, and Magnus and I sent her back to hell. You're welcome.".  
Sebastian lets out a small snort.  
"I mean, I knew you were stubborn, but you're still going to fight hell in high heels when you've got five broken ribs and a cracked jawbone? Jesus, Rune, you might be more reckless than Jace." He comments. His only response from Rune is a swift slap in the jaw.

"There's blood on the table!" Fiona yells, later on in the day. She's staring at a table in Rune's territory. Rune doesn't seem to know whose it is, either. So, it's up to me. I walk over to the table, dip my finger in it, and then lick my finger. I shudder.  
"Oh, god - so that's what a Nephilim's blood tastes like. It's disgusting." I gasp.  
Rune and Fiona look at me expectantly. Both are Nephilim, so my brief analysis doesn't help at all.  
"Oh." I say, seeing their faces. "Uh... Does someone in here have an iron problem?".  
Rune looks thoughtfully at the blood on the table. It all seems to come back to her, and she nods.  
"It's mine." She answers.  
"Well, that solves that then." Fiona adds, and walks off to her territory, where the glitter hasn't yet been brought out - but undoubtedly will be soon enough.  
Rune checks herself all over, to find the source of the blood puddle. She eventually finds a large cut, on her wrist. She licks a tiny bit off, and shudders.  
"How do you live on this?" She asks me, looking just the slightest bit disturbed.  
"I don't know, but I agree, it is rather foul." I reply.  
Rune laughs, and thinks for a moment.  
"Are you hungry?" She asks, eventually.  
"I don't eat, Rune. Not unless it's a family gathering or event." I reply, shaking my head.  
Rune shakes her head in response.  
"I meant... You're our resident vampire, Rodrigo. Are you in need of blood?" She asks, a small smile beginning to play on her face.  
"I am rather hungry, and I haven't been near blood in a few days now, but..." I trail off.  
Rune holds out her wrist. I gasp, shocked.  
"This is my choice, Rodrigo. Don't think it's for any reason other than that time you saved my life back in the Seelie Court." She replies, curtly. The smile is still there, albeit weaker. I know she won't back down. She's stubborn, and once her mind is made up, there's no turning it. But I don't want to hurt her. She's still injured - I may have saved her life, but Magnus was only able to heal the more life-threatening injuries before Rune jumped straight back into the battle.  
"Are you sure?" I croak, barely able to speak.  
Rune nods grimly, and I sink my fangs into her cool wrist.

"Wakey-wakey, sleepy Shadowhunter." Raph says, quietly.  
Rune's eyes fly open.  
"What, where, who, what, who's dying?!" She all but yells, surprise evident on her face.  
"No-one." Raph responds, smiling. "I must thank you for saving my son's life. I fear that he would have been burnt in that sun...".  
Rune relaxes a little, and nods.  
"He's welcome." She replies, before watching the chandelier.

The next day, I arrive to find the Institute covered in glitter. It's everywhere. No amount of Magnus' 'begone, knave!' spells can clear that amount of glitter. I walk in, and find the interior of the Institute is mostly intact - except for the training room, which is a minefield of glitter-pile build-ups. Rune, Sophia, and Jace Wayland/Herondale/Lightwood are already on scene, and Rune and Jace are cursing furiously under their breath, attempting not to let Sophia hear.  
"What happened here?" I ask, staring bewildered at the lot of them.  
"Magnus threw a party in celebration of you becoming a Daylighter and glittered the entire building." Jace replies, without looking up.  
I freeze.  
"What?!" I cry, the sound echoing throughout the halls.  
Rune avoids my gaze.  
"Congratulations." Jace adds, ignoring my brief outcry. Then he looks up - finally - and rolls his eyes. "Are you gonna help, or what?".  
I grab a large rubbish bin, and begin scooping glitter into it. Sophia joins me, and we both manage to clear half the room before Magnus enters. Jace and Rune groan.  
"Three cheers for our new Daylighter!" He cries, creating more glitter. He must have aimed, because it sprinkles all over Jace and Rune's heads, making them both groan loader.  
"You know what..." Rune begins, and picks up a good handful of glitter. "Screw the rules, let's fight.".  
Jace catches on, and he too picks up a handful of glitter.  
"GLITTERBALL FIGHT!" Magnus yells.  
We spend a good four hours lobbing glitterballs at each other, explosions of colour emerging whenever anyone gets a hit in. Surprisingly, Sophia's the one calling the shots, never missing and hitting the rest of us with ease.   
I can't shake off an uneasy feeling, though, when Rune never meets my eyes during the glitterball fight.  
Not even once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You'll soon notice that Rune doesn't have much luck with the Clave or the Seelie Court... Although, saying that, neither does anyone else.


	9. Live Like Legends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> William gathers an impressive force, and Team Rune hope for the best that this will bring Devan home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: The title, and lyrics near the end, come from the song "Live Like Legends", by Ruelle.

It's unnerving how Rune doesn't meet my eyes. We all have secrets we must keep - but turning me into a Daylighter? Rune goes to leave the room after the glitterball fight has ended, and after all the glitter has been cleared away, but I catch her arm. She winces slightly, and I loosen my grip.  
"Why didn't you tell me that drinking your blood would make me a Daylighter?" I ask, attempting to sound mad - but I'm not, I'm just sad and confused.  
Rune doesn't answer. I have an eternity to live, so I'm not hurrying her - but at the same time, I'm not known for my patience.  
"Your father asked me to." Rune answers, eventually. "A few years back, Raph was petrified you'd get yourself burnt in the sun - and nearly did a few times - so I volunteered to help. At the time, I found Downworlders pretty damn annoying, so I didn't go near you. But soon after all the stuff with Devan went down, I realised that you're much more intelligent, brave, and sensitive than you let on, and that if I was going to help you, it'd have to be then." She explains.  
I let go of her arm, in shock. Raph and Simon had been trying to protect me all this time, and Rune had been the one to assist them. I can't help but laugh.  
"So Rune 'the Seelies can go to hell' Lightwood helped out a couple of vampires... I'm beginning to think you're full of surprises." I reply, and Rune laughs too.  
"Well, maybe. It's no surprise that I despise glitter, and the stuff is everywhere." She answers, fiddling with her hair a little.  
I dare a slight glance at her Sereph blade, and see that the dancing flames glitter is still on the hilt. For someone who hates glitter so much, it's almost intentional how long that speck has been there.  
"Remind me to never let you in the same room as the Unholy Glitter Trinity." I reply, and Rune smiles.  
"I don't mind them..." She says, sighing. "... It's just their glitter.".  
"And that, my dear Lightwood, is why they're called the Unholy Glitter Trinity." I reply, and I can hear Heron snort from the back of the room.  
"Get a room!" He yells.

Isabelle Lightwood, Rune's mother, walks into the Institute the next day. She's dressed sharper than most of the lower Shadowhunters, and bears striking resemblance to Clary Fray in her current outfit.  
"Devan Garroway has been missing for a month now. No-one has managed to return him here, and it's making us all look bad." She addresses us all, but her words are clearly addressed to me.  
"In all fairness, Devan is pretty slippery." Luke calls, from the back. "As soon as we've found him, he's gone again.".  
Isabelle acknowledges this with a curt nod.  
"Do we have any knowledge on his current possible whereabouts?" She asks, turning to Heron and Fiona. Both shake their head.  
"He could be anywhere." Fiona answers, biting her bottom lip.  
"Logically, he won't be anywhere near the Clave, and if he sticks to reason, he won't be anywhere near any known Valentine-follower hideouts." Heron answers. He bites his lip, and shuffles his notes, then continues. "Devan is a creature of habit, evidenced by his playlist compromised of ten songs, and his favourite hiding place by Royo's old pillar. Surely, common logic dictates that Devan has been hanging around the Seelie Court for a while, seeing if we drop by, and so he should still be hanging around there." He finishes.  
Isabelle's jaw has since dropped, but she recovers quickly, and acknowledges this, again with a curt nod.  
"Has anyone checked the Seelie Court?" She asks, looking at us all.  
If anyone has anything to say about our little trip to the Seelie Court, my attempted assassination by a wintry voiced vampire, Devan showing up to save my sorry butt, and Rune's severe injuries from the Seelie Queen, they don't say anything. Isabelle's eyes linger on a nasty cut on Sebastian's face (likely inflicted by a Seelie, or one of their slaves), but she lets it go.  
"Rune, is your team ready to go to the Seelie Court?" She asks, voice only slightly trembling.  
Rune looks like she's about to cry, but composes herself.  
"Give us half an hour, and we'll be ready." She replies.  
Isabelle gives another of her curt nods, and leaves us to get ready.

[This is our time...]  
"So, we're going back to the Seelie Court." Max says. He says it plain and simple, and it's all we need to know. We all shuffle on our feet, not wanting to go back there, but going to go anyway.   
"Sereph blades, everyone." Rune calls. By 'everyone', she clearly means the Nephilim among us, but surprises me by holding out a brand new Sereph blade, to me.  
"Don't they burn us Downworlders?" I ask, but I can't take my eyes off the blade. They're even more beautiful in person/inanimate object.  
"Being a Daylighter comes with a few perks." Rune grins, and I take the blade.  
It's light, and it's sharp. I cut myself a few times, before I realise that maybe I shouldn't be testing its effectiveness on myself.   
"Is everyone ready?" Sebastian calls.  
There's a clamour of voices yelling "As we'll ever be!", and we set off to the Seelie Court.

[No turnin' back...]  
The Seelie Queen looks a little shocked to see us all in her territory so soon, but gives us a hospitable smile.  
"How may I help you?" She asks. She's a lot more polite than her slaves.  
"We're looking for Devan Garroway." William answers. A slave groans. They obviously remember the attempts to find Devan from last time.  
The Seelie Queen thinks for a moment.  
"I have seen him wandering around, but he's a little slippery. What is your business with him?" She asks. Rune growls, but I glance at Heron's face, and I know the Queen is being honest.  
"We're trying to bring him home." William answers, his voice remaining steady. Magnus will be proud of him.  
An indistinguishable emotion crosses the Seelie Queen's face.  
"Why?" She asks, intrigued more than anything.  
"Because his father is worried sick about him, and he belongs with the team of people that knows him, and trusts him, beyond the ends of the earth." William answers, voice steady, and with little hesitation.  
The Seelie Queen smiles at William, causing him to gasp slightly, but he recovers quickly.  
"You must really care about your werewolf, to come here to look for him." She says, slowly.  
"Yes. He's family to us." William answers, after about a second of thinking.  
The Seelie Queen finally seems satisfied with interrogating William, and nods.  
"You have us to help you... If we get to see Raphael's pretty face until you find your friend." She says.  
Raph steps forward.  
"Only until they find Devan." He growls.  
The Seelie Queen nods, and shakes hands with William, sealing the deal.  
Rune and Heron can't hide the relief on their faces.

[We could live, we could live...]  
The Seelie Queen stays back at the Seelie Court, but she has assured us that she'll come when we call her. Everyone congratulates William on an interrogation well done, and it's back to work.  
"So Devan wasn't at the Seelie Court, and Royo wasn't nearly killed by a slave, so we don't know if he's around the area. It's highly likely that they're out for his blood after he murdered that slave, so if he's even got a tiny bit of sense in him, he'll stay away from the Court." Heron says, thinking out loud.  
"Where else would he go?" I ask.  
"Should we check the Clave?" Max asks.  
Heron shakes his head.  
"That'll make the Clave more angry, and if the Seelies are with us, they'll be imprisoned." He replies.  
There's something we're missing. Something that's in plain sight, but none of us have noticed it yet.  
"We could ask Lister?" Rune pipes up, her voice trembling as she says so.  
Luke looks at Rune, and then back at Heron.  
"Lister is a werewolf. And he knows what's what in the werewolf world. He's probably known where Devan is this whole time." Luke answers.  
"Alright. Back to Maia's bar, unless Lister lives somewhere else...?" Heron asks.  
"Never left that bar in his life, unless it's to carry out a Clave mission." Luke replies.  
Rune steels herself, and we leave for Maia's bar.

[We could live like legends!]  
Rune bursts into Lister's room, where, predictably, he's asleep. Max pokes his face, and he wakes up with a loud growl. Upon seeing us all, he snarls, but turns back into mundane form.  
"What do you all want?" He asks, the snarl still evident in his voice.  
"We're finding Devan Garroway. You're coming with us, as we know you know where he is. No questions, or we'll leave you to the Seelies. Oh, did I mention we have the Seelies on our side?" Rune answers, throwing him some clothes.  
For the first time (probably in his life), Lister looks impressed.  
"How'd you get the Seelies with you?" He asks.  
"We gave them Raphael. The longer you take to find Devan, the longer the Seelies have one of Royo's dads. You'd better not mess this up." Rune replies, returning the growl.  
"No promises." Lister answers, and turns into a gigantic, jet black wolf once more.  
"Looks like you'll be at the mercy of the Seelies when we're done. How about that." Rune smiles coldly, and leads us out of the room.  
As we leave the bar, the cool night air reminds me of my 18 years spent as a Nightwalker. Now, I'm a Daylighter, and it's a little strange, but it's better than hiding in the shadows.  
As the reality of what we're doing hits me, I laugh. It's eight Nephilim, two vampires, three werewolves, two warlocks, and an entire Seelie army on the hunt for one potentially dangerous werewolf.  
Devan may be dangerous, but he's my best friend.  
And I just hope this rallying of Downworlders will bring him home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the grandest thing I've ever done in Down Like A Warlock. Sure, there's some pretty good quotes later on, but this is the largest rally in the series.  
> I had to make an impact somehow.


	10. Our Kind Of Traitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Clave is stormed and deals are made, but who is in the wrong here? What will happen when the dust settles?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll stop adding 'fun fact' now and just give you the fact.
> 
> The title of this chapter comes from the novel/film by John le Carré, "Our Kind Of Traitor".

To a mundane, seeing a small fleet of disenfranchised Downworlders and Nephilim come together might just make them faint. There's 12 Nephilim - Alec, Isabelle, Jace, Clary, Jace Jr, Max, Heron, Fiona, Alka, Sophia, Rune and Sebastian. There's 2 vampires - me and Simon. There's 3 werewolves - Luke, Maia and Lister. And then there's 2 warlocks - Magnus and William. Not forgetting the fact that the Seelies are now on our side too - so there's an entire Seelie army waiting on William's command. 

Jace kicks open the Clave's main hall doors, with Jace Jr (surprisingly one of Magnus and Alec's kids) backing him up. Clary and Isabelle walk through, with Rune and Sebastian holding off any escaping Clave prisoners. Lister has lead us here, to the Clave, where he's both heard rumours of Devan's capture, and smelled his scent. A Clave representative smiles at the jet black wolf we all don't really trust, and gets a loud growl in return.  
"Why would Devan be here?" Luke asks. "He's smarter than this.".  
Heron speeds up a little. Since we've discovered his hidden talent at profiling, he's been noticing things about everyone and everything, nonstop.  
"He, er, he got captured. William was telling me earlier. Apparently he tried to resist, but he got shot in the knee, and surrendered." He explains.  
Luke's face, quite understandably, pales. There's several loud howls from inside the prison, likely from werewolves that Lister helped trap.  
"How did the Clave find him?" I find myself asking.  
Heron bites his lower lip.  
"That I don't know." He answers, looking crushed. "I wish I did.".  
Everyone stops in front of the Clave's receptionist. Lister turns mundane, and smiles coldly at the receptionist in front of him.   
"How interesting. It's not just us he addresses coldly." Heron's voice comes from behind me. I would ask why, but the Clave receptionist speaks.  
"Devan Garroway is in quarantine after the attempted murder of five Clave representatives. The Clave has recognised Downworlders and Nephilim as equals, however due to Mr Garroway's actions, we may be forced to revoke that law." They say, voice cold and unforgiving.  
Team Downworld - Magnus, William, Luke, Maia, Lister, Simon and myself - all gasp, and I find myself growling in anger. Familiar hands rest on my shoulders, preventing me from attacking the Clave receptionist.  
"You can't revoke that law due to one werewolf's actions. And I'm fairly sure you lot were scaring him - I don't blame him for attacking you." Clary says, walking up to us.   
A loud, low howl distracts us from arguing. We turn, and see a large brown wolf trapped in a small cage, with a gunshot wound in its left hind knee.  
Devan.

As soon as the Seelie army shows up, all hell breaks loose. Raph manages to free himself from the grips of the Seelie Queen's slaves, and joins in the fight. Jace and Jace Jr are hot on the heels of the highest ranking Clave members, while Alec and Isabelle hold down the fort on the lower rankers. Everyone in between has almost 100 pissed off Downworlders and 7 or so Nephilim to answer to. Unsurprisingly, we leave no prisoners. Only the sound of battle yells, yelps of pain, blades slicing through flesh, and the sickening crunch of breaking bone can be heard. Midway through the fight, the Seelies retreat, sensing weaknesses in the Clave's well-armoured team. They leave, wishing us good luck - and taking Raph with them, by force. We've found Devan, but obviously the deal was 'retrieve Devan and quarantine him in the Institute, then we'll give you your vampire back'.  
I run over to Devan, and wince upon seeing the gunshot wound in his leg. He doesn't seem to notice, too busy watching all hell break loose, but when I attempt to break the bars, he snarls at me. I jump, and Devan's green eyes suddenly look so unfamiliar. He snarls again, warning me of an incoming Clave bullet - but a blur of black fur takes the bullet directly to the chest. It hits the floor with a loud 'thud', and whimpers. The fight is obviously over, and the few remaining Clave members hold their ground, steady, in the middle of the chaos. The Seelies were right - we were winning. Luke runs over to Devan, and Simon runs over to me. After a few checks to see if I'm injured (thankfully I'm just shaken), Simon hugs me tightly. Devan's obviously not alright, given the large bloody wound in his knee, but he's otherwise unharmed by the Clave. Everyone gathers around, and stares at the whimpering wolf lying on the floor in front of me. It looks familiar, but I'm not sure how.  
"Lister..." Rune breathes.  
The black wolf whimpers, acknowledging Rune. The icy blue eyes reflect upon all of us, and I realise now that Lister took a bullet from one of the Clave's guns, so I didn't have to. After Magnus checks where the bullet hit, he determines that attempting to remove the bullet will sever an artery (as the bullet is currently lodged in an artery), and will kill Lister - if the blood loss doesn't kill him first. Luke stares down into the glazed eyes of his rival, and nods to Magnus to remove the bullet. As Magnus does so, we all silently thank Lister, for not only keeping me alive, but for helping fight in the battle. Eventually, the bullet is removed, and within seconds, Lister's eyes show the reflections of overhead lighting that he can no longer see.  
Luke drops his head in silent mourning, and everyone else does likewise.  
"He died a traitor to the Clave, but loyal to us." Luke says, quietly.  
"At least he didn't die at the hands of the Seelies." Rune mutters, almost inaudibly.  
We all hear, and it's a small laugh from us all that remind us that Lister died protecting our lives, and not the Clave.  
Lister died as a traitor, but as our kind of traitor.

"Speaking of traitors..." The Clave receptionist begins. They gesture behind us, to Devan.  
No. Not Devan. He can't be.  
No.  
No.  
This isn't possible.  
No.  
"What are you saying?" Jace asks, hoarsely. He may not show it, but he's fond of us all. Devan is no exception.  
"This wolf here agreed to work with us, on the condition that you will all stay away from us, and we'll stay well away from you - so no killing on either side." The receptionist explains.  
It doesn't really make sense, seeing as we've just murdered around a thousand Clave members, but Heron nods.  
"Nice deal." He says. He turns to Devan. "Are you out of your furry mind?!".  
Devan doesn't make a sound. He instead shoots me a look of the utmost regret - it's startling how much it looks like the one Simon gave me down at the Seelie Court - and lies down in his cage.  
"I will not allow this." Luke barks.  
"The deal has been made, Mr Garroway." The receptionist replies, smoothly, and then with one almighty shove, the remaining Clave members chivvy us out of the building. The door locks behind us, and even Magnus can't magic it back open.

The Institute is a sombre place when we get back. No amount of the Unholy Glitter Trinity's glitter can make anything better. Everyone moves on, and starts planning ways to get Devan to leave the Clave, but for me, it's just a reminder that once again, I've failed. My best friend now works for the Clave, and one of my dads is stuck with the Seelies. Soon, both of my dads will be stuck with the Seelies, and I can't live with that thought.  
Everyone's bloodied, bruised, and battered, while I'm just shaken and sad.  
Everyone gave their all to get Devan back, and yet I failed again.

"Jace..." I say, weakly.  
He comes over in seconds - almost as quickly as Lister died - and sits down next to me.  
"What's up, mini Raphael?" He asks, smiling a little.   
"Am I a good Shadowhunter?" I ask, staring him straight in his mismatched eyes.  
He shifts a little.  
"Of course. You've kept your cool under pressure, you're smart, skilled, and logical, and everyone regards you as a Shadowhunter. Why wouldn't you be?" He replies, voice now warm and comforting.  
"Devan now works for the Clave, Lister's dead, and Raph's stuck with the Seelies until Devan's safely back here..." I trail off.  
Jace doesn't mock me.  
"We'll get Devan back. I promise you that. And Raph will come back with him." He says, voice confident. He's shaking slightly, but that can be forgiven due to a large cut on his arm.  
"Why would Devan work for the Clave...?" I ask, hoping Jace will have the answers.  
He doesn't.  
"I have no idea. But I do know that he wouldn't do it if he had any other choice." Jace replies. That gives me a little more hope - that the deal Devan made with the Clave was the only possible option he could've taken. Taking Jace's hand, he pulls me up, and despite how bloodied everyone is, we all have a huge Institute-wide glitterball fight.  
Even Simon joins in, over on Team Nerd.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so ends Season 1.
> 
> Season 2 features the obligatory college AU style, confused Shadow World warriors, and startling new revelations.   
> Are you ready?


	11. A Very Mundane Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to college! Team Rune take on the challenge of living like mundanes, although it may be easier for some than it is for others...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Claudia, Jacob and Harlow were created by friends of mine.

A few weeks after Devan betrayed us for the Clave, one of the Seelies pops up at the Institute. It draws a small hiss from Simon, who's still miffed they've got Raph (as am I, but I have a reputation of calmness, that I MUST uphold), but everyone else is very welcoming. Likely because they're attempting to get Raph back, without the Seelie noticing.  
"There are urgent matters we must discuss with Team Jace." The Seelie says, simply. Jace Jr looks shocked, like he's only just realised that he's part of Team Rune, and not some splinter group of Team Jace. Jace Wayland/Herondale/Lightwood steps forward, and nods.  
"What is it that you need to discuss?" He asks, pushing the Sereph blade (that Rune had been holding up) toward to the floor.  
"I cannot discuss it in front of Team Rune." The Seelie responds, and while Rune too looks a little miffed, a proud smile emerges on her face, as if to say 'screw you, Sebastian'.  
"I instead have a test for Team Rune." A voice declares. The Seelie Queen appears in front of us, Raph behind her with a few slaves. I growl upon seeing Raph held back by the slaves, but it doesn't faze the Seelie Queen.  
"What is your test?" Jace Wayland/Herondale/Lightwood asks, stepping swiftly in front of Alec's bow.  
"I am sending them to a mundane college, to see if they may live alongside the mundanes." The Seelie Queen answers, smiling. I can't tell if she's being cold, or attempting to help. Where's Heron Lightwood when you really need him?  
Almost everyone's jaws drop. Mine stays rigid in its place, with my fangs piercing my lower lip. The Seelie Queen has to be joking. I can't go to a mundane college. They'll all torment me, mock me, and attempt to kill me when they inadvertently find out that I'm a vampire. In all honesty, mundanes petrify me. I don't hear the rest of what everyone says due to shock, but I am aware of Rune hugging me, before getting into what I hear is called a 'taxi'.

The taxi pulls up at the college, and Simon gently squeezes my hand.  
"You'll be fine. Make sure you call and/or text every day, OK?" He says, a mischievous smile working its way onto his face.  
I groan, but nod all the same.  
"Yes, dad." I answer. Simon nods back, hugs me, and I get out of the taxi.   
The college is large and very bright white in front of me, all solar panels, transparent panels and light shining off the corners of said panels. It's the first day of a new year, and already a sea of mundanes is forming. The taxi pulls away, and I shudder, but I get to the front gate to register.  
"Your name, please?" The person asks.  
"Uh, um, uh, Rodrigo, uh, Santiago-Lewis...?" I reply, hoping I've remembered my own name. I'm asking more than telling, but the person nods, and hands me several dozens of unnecessary items and sheets of paper, followed by a map, an ID card on a lanyard, and a timetable. I thank them quietly, then set off in the direction of the dorms.

The dorms are all in a large block, in no particular order or lines, with the premium dorms having sea views from their main windows. They're all penthouses, too - obviously the Seelie Queen wanted to give us a little luxury alongside the stress. Each penthouse has two names on it, on golden plaques - one underneath the other. I spot 'S. Carstairs' on number 17, and frown upon seeing 'H. Charklin' underneath. Why isn't Rune Sophia's roommate? The two are parabatai as of two weeks ago, and Sophia's a skittish little rodent when away from Rune. I blink away my quiet confusion, and continue searching for my dorm. In a way, I'm excited to see who my dormmate will be, but I'm also petrified, because there's mundanes everywhere, and my dormmate is going to be a mundane. I pull open the flyer for the college, flick to the page about the dorms, and read while I'm walking. Premium have sea views, all have kitchens and two bedrooms, on-suite bathrooms, etc etc. Something catches my eye, and I look up, to see a plaque baring the name 'W. Lightwood-Bane'. Number 34. I make a little note in my phone of Sophia and William's dorm numbers, and continue walking. Number 21 reads 'H. Lightwood', which is Heron's dorm. Number 58 reads 'J. Lightwood-Bane', which is Jace Jr's dorm. Fiona is number 47, Sebastian is number 29, and I pause at number 12. 'R. Lightwood' is written on the first plaque, and underneath that - 'J. Herrington'. I make a mental note to unleash hell upon this J. Herrington if they hurt Rune, and continue on to number 50, which reads 'R. Santiago-Lewis'. I blink for a few seconds, and then look down ever so slightly, to see the second plaque, which reads 'C. Zimmerman'. I fumble with the key the person at the gate gave me, but eventually manage to shove it into the lock, and open the door.

The penthouse is huge. It's vast, spacious, and luxurious, nothing more or nothing less than what the Seelie Queen said she'd give us. I step into it, my clean boots making contact with the polished marble floor, and walk through the common room area, toward the window wall at the back of the dorm. The flyer was right - the sea views are beautiful. I thank my lucky stars that Rune's blood made me a Daylighter, and turn toward the main door, where a girl with the same amount of papers I got is walking in. I place my stack of papers on the coffee table, then make a beeline for the girl, helping her put her stack on the other coffee table. She thanks me, and then goes into the room with a plaque bearing the name 'C. Zimmerman', to unpack her luggage. I do likewise, in the room labelled 'R. Santiago-Lewis', and we regroup in the common area.  
"It's beautiful here." The girl comments. I nod, although she doesn't notice it. She turns to me after I've taken my boots off, and extends a hand. "My name is Claudia Zimmerman." She says, with a smile. "But you can call me Odie.".  
I shake her hand, gently, being careful not to grip it too tightly, and smile slightly, taking care to avoid showing her my fangs.  
"Rodrigo Santiago-Lewis." I reply. "But everyone calls me Royo.".  
Claudia lets go of my hand, and smiles.  
"I'm sure you and I will get along very well, Royo." She says, and then her face lights up. "Did you know that you lose an eggcup full of sweat through your feet everyday?" She asks, nodding toward my boots in the hallway.  
I try and hide my grimace.  
"No, I didn't..." I reply. It's very interesting, though. It's probably why Jace Wayland/Herondale/Lightwood always changes his shoes before a night mission, date, or party. A pang erupts in my chest for Simon, Jace, Rune and Devan. I won't see Simon and Jace for around two months (when the first holiday is), and I won't see Devan for god knows how long. I might not even see him again at all. On the plus side, I will see Rune tomorrow.  
I go back to the common area, and flick through my stack of papers, searching for my timetable. A sharp pain suddenly tears through part of my finger, and I look at it to see it bleeding. Another pang erupts in my chest for everyone at the Institute, who didn't judge me for being a vampire. I raise my finger to my lips and suck the blood off it, hoping to stop the bleeding. A few moments pass before I notice Claudia looking at me a little oddly.  
"Are you alright, Royo?" She asks, voice concerned. She's known me for less than an hour, and yet she's already concerning herself with my life. How sweet.  
"I'm fine. It's just, the, uh, the paper cut me." I reply, going back to sucking my finger.  
"Well, sucking it won't help. You're removing the white blood cells and platelets that are helping form a scab." Claudia responds. She gently removes my finger from my mouth, says nothing about the amount of blood surrounding the smallish cut (I must've bitten my lower lips in shock and stress at some point), and if she sees my fangs, doesn't mention them. She gently wraps a small piece of beige-ish sticky cloth on my finger, and smiles.  
"There. It should heal in a few days.".  
I don't have the heart to tell her that it's probably already healed, and that it was just the blood loss I was concerned about.  
"Why were you sucking your finger that hard, anyway?" She asks, still concerned. "It's not like you're a vampire or anything... Right?".  
Oh, if only she knew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so begins Season 2A!
> 
> The college that Team Rune attend is very like a university, but when writing this series originally, I couldn't be bothered to change it halfway through.  
> I won't be changing it now, either - the term 'college' has just kind of stuck.


	12. Mythical

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claudia and Rodrigo get to know each other a little more, and a game of Werewolf is played that will test Team Rune's knowledge of each other. Can the Shadow World truly get along with the mundanes?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you wanted to know the ship names:
> 
> Rune and Rodrigo = Runedrigo (endgame)  
> Rodrigo and Claudia = Claudrigo (teased)  
> Claudia and Fiona (spoilers) = Claudiona (endgame)
> 
> And so begins the Runedrigo/Claudrigo civil war.

Most of the time in my first day is spent playing Battleship with Claudia, and getting to grips with how to cook like a mundane. Claudia's brilliant at both, and I have to hide the fact that I don't eat. Still, it's a useful skill to learn. At around 10pm, Claudia lets out this almighty yawn, pats my shoulder lightly, and retreats to her room with a sleepy "Goodnight, Royo.". I can't help but smile back at this mundane's inane goodness, and reply with "Sleep well, Odie.".

The next day, I put the skills Claudia had been teaching me to the test. Everyone says I'm a fast learner, but I don't know how much I believe them. Cracking eggs isn't exactly easy, especially when the insides are all gooey. I focus, and tell myself that eggs are like mundane flesh - crack it or pierce it, and there's blood underneath. This works for a while, until I remember that Claudia is a mundane. I really don't have the heart to kill or feed from her. She's too sweet and nice to me - which is a first. Rune hated me at first, and the Unholy Glitter Trinity stayed away from me, until they got the all clear from Sebastian that I wasn't going to bite them anytime soon.  
Claudia walks in, sleepily, halfway through my thinking/cooking time, and smiles. It's a lazy smile, but she's still half-asleep, so that can be excused.  
"What are you doing awake at 7am?" She asks, stifling a yawn.  
"I've always been a morning person." I reply, when in reality, it's because I'm still not used to being a Daylighter. I don't really sleep anyway, but now that I can actually walk in the sun, my previous barely-existing sleep schedule got completely messed up.  
"I see you can cook, after all." Claudia says, breaking the silence. I frown, confused. She laughs, and continues. "Yesterday, your scrambled eggs looked like overcooked vomit. Today, they resemble something that might actually be edible.".  
"Well, uh, I cook to impress." I reply, and gently place the eggs, bacon, and mushrooms on the plate. I think I overcooked the bacon, but I was more concerned about the eggs.  
Claudia doesn't wait to be told she can eat. I watch her, both surprised and amused, and she grins.  
"I told you you could do it." She punches my shoulder playfully. "And who said you couldn't?".  
"I did." I answer, laughing at her weak punch.  
Maybe mundanes aren't so boring after all. I've grown up around Nephilim, warlocks and vampires, but there's something about mundanes that none of the non-mundane have. I just can't place what.

"How do I look?" Claudia asks, twirling around in a dark velvet suit.  
"Is that one of my suits?" I reply, laughing.  
Claudia looks down, then grins wildly.  
"Guilty as charged." She answers. "But for real, does it suit me?".  
I nod, solemnly.  
"Perfect for any funeral." I reply.  
Claudia and I stare each other down, a solemn silence hanging over us, before we both simultaneously burst out laughing.  
"You look fine." I say, much more serious, and Claudia smiles in relief.  
"Oh, thank goodness." She replies. "Is it too formal?".  
I finish fastening the buttons on my tuxedo jacket, and roll my eyes.  
"This is Rune we're on about. She doesn't know what informal means." I answer.  
Claudia just laughs harder.

At precisely 10:30am, Claudia and I arrive at Dorm 12, the one Rune shares with J. Herrington. I feel oddly proud of myself for remembering their name. Claudia knocks on the door, gently, and as I strain to make out any noise inside Rune's penthouse, I can hear pretty much everyone that the Seelies called "Team Rune". Even Sebastian. The door opens, and I quickly step back. Claudia jumps, and almost loses her balance, but I hold her arm, and place a hand gently on her back, so she doesn't fall over. A male mundane that I don't recognise stares back at us.  
"Who are you?" He asks, an air of coldness to him.  
"I am Rodrigo Santiago-Lewis, and this is my dormmate, Claudia Zimmerman." I say, introducing ourselves.  
The mundane pauses, then fully opens the door.  
"Well, come in. Rune'll kill me if I send you away." He answers.  
Claudia ducks underneath his arm, and I gently move his arm out of the way. Rune's penthouse is almost the same as ours, just a little more glittery. It takes a moment to sink in, and then I clock the yelling of "LIGHTWOOD-BANE! THIS IS A NO-GLITTER AREA!". I dutifully take my boots off and sink down into one of the sofas in the common area, the all-too-familiar yelling finally relaxing me. 

Rune walks into the common area a little while later, and her face lights up upon seeing me. She hugs me tightly, like she doesn't want to let me go, and I return it gratefully.  
"Royo..." She says, remembering to breathe. "I didn't think you'd come.".  
"Why would I miss a dormwarming party of one of my closest friends?" I ask, and Rune laughs.  
"Well, there's more welcoming hosts than me out there." She replies, stifling a laugh.  
I smile, and cotton on to the joke.  
"That's true - but they're all in here, so I'd have to be in here anyway." I reply.  
"I bet Heron's a better host than me." Rune answers.  
"Fiona." I add.  
"Jace." Rune can barely speak from laughing, and I don't blame her. Jace Jr hosting a dormwarming party? We'd be lucky if we were still alive at the end of it.  
Everyone arrives from wherever in the penthouse they'd been, and sit down in the common area. Most haven't brought their dormmates (although Sophia does get dropped off by her dormmate, a guy named Harlow Charklin), so it's Team Rune, Claudia, and Rune's dormmate, J. Herrington.  
"Should we play Werewolf?" William asks. Werewolf is a mundane game that we're all secretly very fond of, in which a card is dealt out to every player, and the one who gets the werewolf has to avoid being voted as the werewolf.  
Everyone nods, and Rune gets her copy of the game out.

"I saw the werewolf and the hunter in the middle." William says.  
William's the Seer, Claudia's the Insomniac, and - oh, the irony of it all - I'm the Werewolf.  
"So there's only one werewolf." J. Herrington says, slowly. I found out that his first name is Jacob. A predictably mundane name, but then again, so is William, and William's a warlock.  
"What about Rune?" I ask. I look at her. "You're acting a little screwy.".  
Rune makes an exasperated noise at the back of her throat.  
"I've already said, nine times, I'm a villager." She answers.  
"Wait, wait..." Heron pipes up. "Did you say you saw the hunter in the middle?".  
William nods.  
"Ah, crap." Heron thinks, slowly. "I was the hunter, but I'm obviously not anymore.".  
"Oh, I switched your card." Jace answers.  
"Who with?" I ask.  
"I switched Heron and Claudia's cards." Jace replies, leaning back on the sofa.  
Claudia looks lost in thought, while Heron just looks miffed.  
"I was the insomniac." Claudia begins. "If I got swapped with Heron, that surely means I'm now the hunter, and he's the insomniac.".  
I nod in agreement.  
"But what about the fact the hunter is in the middle?" Fiona asks.  
"Doesn't the insomniac switch their card with the one in the middle?" William replies, fiddling with the Seer token.  
"Then that would mean Claudia is now whatever was in the middle, and Heron is the hunter." Jacob says, and Heron nods.  
"Makes sense." Heron says, still nodding.  
It's a very intense game, and requires a lot of thought. Somehow, these mundanes we've been forced to spend a year with are very good at the game - Jacob and Heron are practically Sherlock and Mycroft (I watched a TV series named 'Sherlock' a few weeks ago), in how good they both are at psychology and profiling.  
"What about Royo? He hasn't said anything." Sophia asks.  
"Actually, he did. He said I was acting a little screwy." Rune snorts.  
"I think Rodrigo is the werewolf, and Claudia is the minion." Jacob answers, eventually.  
Everyone nods in agreement.  
"I don't even know what I am anymore, so I'm agreeing." Claudia says, gaining loud laughter from the rest of us.  
In the end, I'm voted as the werewolf, and Claudia is voted as the minion. Claudia turns out to be a villager, but they were all right in that I was the werewolf.  
"Good game, all." Rune smiles.  
"Indeed." Heron answers.  
"Should we go for another round?" Jacob asks.  
We all nod, and all of our worries about being rejected by the mundanes drift away, as we play long into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another thing you'll notice about this series is that the continuity with the dorm numbers is extremely inconsistent - I never get the number right with its original, as was stated in the last chapter, but I do manage to remember and reuse some numbers in later chapters for various different characters.
> 
> Oh, and Rodrigo's line during Werewolf ("you're acting a little screwy") is word for word what Matthew Daddario said when playing Werewolf with the Shadowhunters cast a few years ago.


	13. City of Shut Up and Study (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Seelie Queen is back, and she's causing trouble in paradise. What will happen to Runedrigo now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you were a vampire and had to hide it, how well would you cope?

Weeks pass, and eventually Claudia and I settle into a routine. It's less than perfect, but it's ours. And, after all, this campus is all about what works for the dormmates. Claudia walks into breakfast, and pushes the latest campus newspaper toward me on the table.  
"Final exams for the Third Years are in the week commencing December 23rd...?" I read, confused. We're First Years - unless there's something Claudia hasn't been telling me.  
"You know how the Third Years' dorm campus is on the bay?" Claudia asks, gently taking the newspaper back.  
"Yes..." I reply, slowly.  
"They're coming up here for their final exams." Claudia answers. "They'll be using our dorms, and we'll be using theirs." She finishes.  
I pause, and think about this for a second. We can see the Third Years' campus from our window wall, and they have cute little two-storey beach huts with balconies. The Second Years are in small boats on the bay's shoreline, and we can see them from our window wall too. The beach huts actually look quite fun - but of course, our penthouses are the ultimate in luxury, both spacious and with every possible need. WiFi, breakfast bar and kitchen, two bedrooms with on-suite bathrooms, something known as a 'Ps4', and almost anything else you could think of.  
"Beach huts sound fun." I manage to say, eventually. I'm not keen on leaving behind the penthouse I've gotten so used to, and that has served us so well so far, but it's only for two weeks. I can manage that, surely?  
"They do, but what about the penthouse?" Claudia asks. It's good to know I'm not the only one who feels anxious about leaving it behind.  
"It'll be fine." I reply, tossing a pancake (Claudia taught me how to do that, too). "It's only two weeks. We can manage it.".  
Claudia laughs, and nods.  
"Alright." She says, and proceeds to drown her pancake in lemon juice.

I walk into my English class (after bidding a good day to Claudia), and I'm sat next to the guy who dropped Sophia off at Rune's penthouse. He seems pleasant enough.  
"Oh, hey, you're, um... You're Sophia's dormmate, right?" I ask, suddenly forgetting his name.  
He smiles, and holds out a hand.  
"Harlow Charklin. You can call me Harry." He replies.  
I smile back, and shake his hand.  
"Rodrigo Santiago-Lewis." I say, slowly. "Everyone calls me Royo.".  
Harlow nods, and turns to his book (Macbeth, a play by a guy called Shakespeare), just as the lecturer walks in. I've been in this class for three weeks, but the seating got rearranged recently - so I was sat by Jacob Herrington, Rune's dormmate (and happily making threats on his life if he hurt Rune), and now I'm sat by Harlow Charklin, Sophia's dormmate. I do wonder how Rune and Sophia are getting along without each other. The parabatai bond is strong, but from what Harlow's told me, Sophia's getting along fine.  
"Rodrigo!" The lecturer yells.  
I look up, startled, and realise that I'm still frantically messaging Heron. I exit the app, and slowly turn my phone off.  
"Good." The lecturer seems satisfied, and continues the lecture. "Today, we'll be studying Macbeth, a well-known play by Shakespeare. Shinoda, could you hand out the books?".  
There's an audible 'awwwww yisssssss' from Harlow (who I've learnt has a major crush on whoever this Shakespeare is), and the person named Shinoda gets up, and hands out the books. It dawns on me that I really don't know anything about mundane culture, and I silently hope that the Seelies won't force me into anything else I know nothing about.

"So, how'd your English lesson go?" Claudia asks, at lunch. "I heard you got yelled at.".  
I look down at my sandwich, and sigh.  
"I did. Because I know nothing about Shakespeare." I reply. I start chewing my sandwich, and I'm surprised as to how nice it tastes. Maybe I won't need blood while I'm here. That'd be nice.  
"Your lecturer must have it in for you, then. I never pay attention in English, and my lecturer just ignores me." Claudia muses. She fiddles with her fork, not quite willing to eat her pasta.  
"What's wrong?" I ask, putting my sandwich down.  
Claudia looks up, her brown eyes meeting my cold grey.  
"You and your friends... You're not quite normal." She says, slowly. "I mean, anatomically. You're all very nice, and I couldn't ask for a nicer dormmate, it's just... You're always so skittish in the sunlight, and most relaxed in the darkness. AND you don't eat much.".  
Crap, she's on to me. I stand up, Claudia following, and we walk back to our dorm.  
"I can't be a vampire if I can walk in the sun, can I?" I reply, trying not to let my fangs show. It physically pains me to deny what I am, and to lie to Claudia, but she is a mundane, and she can't know the truth. The Seelies would kill me if she did - if she didn't first, of course.  
"But you have fangs." Claudia says, quietly.  
"Cos... Play...?" I trail off, hoping she believes me. She doesn't.  
"When you got that papercut, I saw how big your incisor teeth are. Those aren't human size." Claudia answers. She unlocks our dorm door, and we both step in. Thankfully English and Geography were the only lectures I had today, and I can relax for the rest of the day. I walk into the common area, and stifle a scream when I see the Seelie Queen standing there. She's alone, and she looks like she means business. Claudia comes in to see what's wrong, and almost faints. I catch her, and then look back at the Seelie Queen, who smiles.  
"You have proven you are capable of living alongside a mundane, by masquerading as a mundane yourself." She begins.  
"Who... What... Where..." Claudia gasps.  
"Now you must show you can live alongside a mundane for who you truly are." The Seelie Queen says, a determined hint in her voice. "Go on. Show the mundane who you really are.".  
I know I can't fight against the Seelie Queen, not without people getting hurt, not without revealing who I am. I do as I'm told, shrugging off the mundane disguise, finally letting my fangs stop piercing my lower lip, and letting my neat nails grow into short, sharp claws. My eye colour also changes, to an ebony crimson. The Seelie Queen smiles, satisfied, and vanishes.

I don't look Claudia in the eyes. She's still lying in my arms, from when I caught her, but I can't bear to look at her. A gloomy silence moves into the penthouse, and it feels like the life I so carefully made here has shattered. Eventually, Claudia speaks.  
"I have questions." She says. Relief floods through me in that she doesn't sound angry.  
"Understandable." I nod. I help her to her feet, and she sinks down on a sofa in the common area.  
"Number 1: Who the hell was she?" Claudia asks.  
I get two glasses of orange juice, and sit down.  
"That was the Seelie Queen." I answer.  
"Number 2..." Claudia takes a sip of her juice. "What the hell is a Seelie?".  
"I'm not really sure myself. Raph always calls them the annoying evil fairies. It suits them." I reply, and a smile begins to appear on Claudia's face.  
"I don't know who this Raph is, but I like them already." She says, and I laugh. "Number 3: What the hell is a mundane?".  
"You're a mundane." I answer, and she looks affronted. "A nonmagical, nonmystical, non-Downworld being.".  
Claudia pauses.  
"There's a Downworld?" She asks.  
I sigh, and launch into a full-on explanation of who I am, and what the Downworld is, and also what my friends are.

"But why would you hide who you are?" Claudia asks, in disbelief.  
"Two reasons. 1: I had to, because the Seelies said so. 2: I had to, so that no-one would try killing me." I reply. "I can understand if you think I'm a monster. I'm a bloodsucking leech, and that's all I'll ever be.".  
Claudia shakes her head.  
"That's where you're wrong." She says, and gently rests a hand on my cheek.  
I flinch at the sudden contact, but don't pull away.  
"The Seelie Queen said you'd proven yourself able to live alongside a human by pretending that you're one of them." She begins.  
I nod.  
"That's true. I've never really felt like I belong anywhere, until I came here, and you entered my life as my dormmate. You're one of the nicest people I've ever met - and you're not even human. Surely that counts for something?" Claudia asks.  
I finally look her in the eyes.  
"I've never met a mundane so willing to accept that I'm a monster..." I trail off.  
"You're not a monster. You're a really nice guy who happens to be a vampire." Claudia answers, then a smile breaks out on her face. "It doesn't help that you're handsome as hell, either.".  
I laugh, and Claudia absentmindedly rests her forehead on my chest. After a while, she speaks again.  
"Do you have a heartbeat? Do you breathe?".  
For the rest of the night, the only thing that happens is I get bombarded with questions about what it's like to be a vampire.

I hide the fact I'm a vampire again in lectures, but with Claudia so accepting of it, the disguise is cast off as soon as I'm back in the penthouse. It has caused a few freakouts when lecturers have dropped by, but they've all believed the 'I'm just a hardcore cosplayer' excuse and left it. Another few weeks pass, and I stop off at Rune's penthouse for a few hours. Rune opens the door, and lets me in, seething.  
"Did you get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?" I ask, shrugging off the mundane disguise. I can see Rune's many rune tattoos, so obviously the Seelie Queen had visited her, too, to tell her that she'd passed the 'masquerade as a mundane' test.  
"Just when I thought I might be falling for you, the Seelie Queen tells me that you're dating the mundane you share your dorm with!" Rune yells, shrilly.   
Jacob walks in the room, sees my fangs, and then quietly excuses himself.  
"She what?" I ask, dumbfounded.  
"Don't play dumb, Rodrigo. You and I both know that you're not stupid!" Rune continues.  
"I'm not playing dumb! I didn't... I'm not... She just..." I can't get my thoughts together.  
"She just what?" Rune asks, voice now dangerously cold.  
I stare into her now-golden flecked eyes.  
"This is the Seelie Queen we're talking about, Rune. Why are you believing her?" I ask, my voice hoarse.  
"Because it's clear that there is something between you." Rune's voice is full of ice, and I shiver.  
"She's my dormmate, Rune! I have to get along with her, otherwise my life will be hell in more ways than one!" I cry.  
"So you're not denying there's something there?" Rune replies, coldly.  
That's not what I'm saying at all. The Seelies may be on our side on the hunt for Devan, but that doesn't mean they can't stir up a little trouble in paradise. I growl at this recollection. Rune nods at my silence.  
"I got myself insanely badly injured in the hunt for Devan, and let you drink my blood so you'd become a Daylighter. And it's all for a mundane..." She trails off. Her voice is still injected with ice, but it also sounds sad.  
"She accepted the fact that I'm a vampire, and bombarded me with questions about what it's like to be a vampire, that's all." I say, desperately trying to get Rune back on my side. I'm not lying, either.  
It's too late. Rune's already stalked off into her room, and I leave the penthouse, wondering where the hell I went wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Runedrigo rise! (Screw you, Seelie Queen!)


	14. City of Shut Up and Study (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rodrigo admits what he feels, and the campus is shaken up as the Third Years invade the penthouses for their exams. Can Runedrigo survive this rocky period, or will Claudrigo come out on top?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A friend of mine (the same friend who created Rune and Harlow) also wrote some fanfic for this series, which I incorporated into this chapter, starting at the second paragraph.

I arrive back at my own penthouse within minutes - likely because I have no desire to stay in Rune's - and knock gently on the door. Claudia opens it within seconds, and I step inside. I don't need to say anything - Claudia's already seen the look on my face.  
"That bad?" She asks. I nod, miserably.  
"Apparently the Seelie Queen told her that you and I were a thing." I reply, staring at my nails. I shrug off the mundane disguise, and the claws return.  
Claudia doesn't say a word. She doesn't need to. I know that I'm stuck in this love triangle, of sorts, with me liking Rune and Claudia, Claudia probably liking me, and Rune unsure.  
"Do you love her, Royo?" Claudia asks, eventually.  
The question catches me offguard, and I splutter for a few minutes while I think of a plausible answer. Do I? Do I even know what love is?  
All I manage to make myself say is "Yes.".

A few days after I forcefully made myself admit that I do indeed have feelings for Rune, I wake up and realise that the Third Years are arriving tomorrow - and our penthouse is still a mess from the cupcake making yesterday. I worked in a few hours of cupcake making after Claudia had gone to bed - I don't even need to sleep, so I don't know why I do - so hopefully we'll get all 100 cakes done by tomorrow. Or at least have the penthouse in a state where the Third Years can use it. I walk out of my bedroom, and into the kitchen, where Claudia is admiring the 30 new cupcakes.  
"Where'd you get the eggs?" She asks, after clocking that I've walked in.  
"Harlow owed me a favour for saving his butt. I robbed his dorm of eggs. Hopefully he isn't an omelette/fried eggs guy." I reply, and Claudia has to fight to stop herself falling over from laughing.  
"You... You went over... To his dorm... And... And stole... And stole his eggs..." Claudia can barely breathe from laughing, and I nod solemnly.  
"We still have 15 spare eggs, by the way." I add. This doesn't help Claudia at all, and she eventually sinks down on the floor, unable to get up. I begin to start cleaning up the kitchen, and eventually I hear a weak "I've fallen, and I can't get up" from the floor, and Claudia and I begin laughing anew.

The penthouse eventually looks presentable, all gleaming and glittering, in a way I thought wasn't possible unless the Unholy Glitter Trinity had done something to it.  
"We make a good team." Claudia says, decidedly.  
"Indeed we do." I reply. "Now, to make sure it looks this nice for tomorrow. The Third Years will skin us if it doesn't.".  
Claudia snorts.  
"Last I checked, it wasn't that easy to skin a vampire." She adds.  
I walk into the kitchen, getting a glass of water.  
"Well, I still would rather they didn't try!" I holler, and I hear the familiar snort that indicates I've probably broken Claudia. I walk back out of the kitchen, glass in hand, and place it in front of Claudia.  
"Drink this, and remember to breathe." I add.  
Claudia doesn't look at me, trying not to start laughing again, and obediently drinks the water.  
"I looked at the notifications board onsite, and apparently we're staying in the beach hut that has the same number as our penthouse, to avoid confusion." She says, slowly, voice still a little shaky.  
"Number 17? That should be easy enough to remember." I reply, nodding.  
"Unless you can fly, and get back here, then wonder why there's two Third Years using your precious sofa." Claudia suggests, stifling a giggle.  
"Well, I can't fly, so that rules that out." I answer, and gently nudge Claudia in the ribs. "We'd better start packing, so we don't leave at the last minute.".  
Claudia nods, and we both head into our rooms, to pack our stuff for tomorrow.

The sun streams in through the windows I forgot to close yesterday, and rests gently on my face. It's something I doubt I'll ever forget waking up to, due to the beauty and elegance of it all. I grab my backpack from the side of my bed, groggily get up, and get dressed in the comfort of my own on-suite bathroom. The beach huts don't have those, but they do have rather nice looking outdoor pools - which are basically parts of the bay's shoreline, just cordoned off and heated by the sun. They also have normal bathrooms, but only one, and much less luxurious than these. I slip on my tuxedo, and walk out into the main hall. Claudia's cooking breakfast already, with her backpack at the door. I place mine there too, and join Claudia by the breakfast bar.  
"We have to be out by 10am." I read off the notification on my phone. Claudia makes an 'mhm' noise, and places a plate of cupcakes on the table. I stare at them. They're beautiful, well-cooked and decorated like the views we have from our window wall.  
"I used the ones you made, and the views from the window wall - I think they look really nice." Claudia explains. I nod.  
"They're beautiful." I reply, and Claudia smiles. She retrieves one that I'm guessing she made earlier, and puts it in front of me, after putting the others in a tub, by the front door. The one she's made is a fluffy red cupcake, with whitish icing, and a realistic looking heart made of fondant stuck on top. My nonexistent breath catches in my throat, and Claudia walks back into the breakfast bar.  
"I guessed you're a realistic type of person - as am I, in all honesty - so that's why there's a realistic looking heart there. I wondered how to make cupcakes vampire friendly, and after a while of sweating in a kitchen that could double as a sauna, and crying over how bad my cupcake making skills are, I noticed a cut on my arm. I squeezed as much of the blood out as I could - without draining myself, of course - and added that to the mix. That's why it's so red. I just hope you don't get addicted to my blood!" She laughs.  
I realise that the phrase 'blood, sweat and tears' really is true for this small cupcake, and I feel a sudden rush of affection for this mundane.  
"Thank you." I say, and Claudia smiles.  
"You're welcome." She replies.

After about an hour of walking, we arrive at beach hut number 17. It's painted red and black, and shines with a reassuring ease. It's large, too, which I wasn't expecting.  
"Hey, look, they cleaned up too." Claudia nudges me, and I chuckle.  
I retrieve my key from my backpack, and slot it in the lock. I turn it, it clicks, and the door opens with a small creak. Claudia and I step inside, and are taken aback. It's brilliantly clean, larger than it looks, and incredibly homely. I take a few moments to explore the hut, and find that the main door is actually at the side, as the outdoor pool is connected to the window wall at the front. Upstairs, the bathroom is smaller than at the penthouse, and there's only one bedroom. As well as there only being one bed. Upon closer inspection, the people we're trusting our penthouse with appeared to have made a small barrier in between them, judging by the line imprinted into the mattress. I shrug, and walk back downstairs, where Claudia is sat with her feet in the pool, perched on the stony path around it. From where she is, there's a clear view of the Second Years' campus, which is on a huge island in the middle of the bay, and the Second Years' dorms, which are small boats orbiting the island. Our penthouse is on the cliff behind us, the cliff face looming over us, and giving us welcome shade during the final few hours of daylight.  
"There's only one bed." I begin. "But we can make a barrier between us.".  
Claudia looks over at me, and nods.  
"Sounds like a plan." She says, and I dip my feet in the pool. It's cold, but refreshing.  
Claudia and I sit with our feet in the pool until the sun goes down.

Our shared bedroom is completely divided in the middle, with an invisible line keeping our stuff on either side of the room. There's a physical line in the middle of the bed, created with several rolled up towels. There seems to be an endless supply of towels in the hut, so we're not too bothered about running out. I step back from the bedroom, satisfied with my handiwork, and go into the kitchen to finish making the seafood rice - or 'paella', as Raph always calls it.  
"Do we have lectures on the bay, or up by our campus?" I ask, when Claudia walks in.  
"Neither." Claudia replies. "It's Christmas in two days.".  
"The Third Years have exams on Christmas?" I exclaim, and Claudia nods sadly.  
"Two weeks of exams, beginning today." She answers. And then she perks up, grinning. "But we get two weeks off!".  
My thoughts begin to buzz. Visit Rune, go back and visit Simon, see if they've gotten Raph back yet, or stay here and explore the bay with Claudia? Or...  
"Claudia..." I begin.  
She looks at me.  
"Yes, Royo?" She asks.  
"Would you like to meet my dad? Or, well, one of them." I ask, twiddling my thumbs.  
Claudia's eyes light up.  
"Oh, boy, would I!" She cries. "Is he a vampire too?".  
I nod.  
"Both my dads are vampires." I reply, and Claudia's entire face lights up.  
I pull out my phone, and call Simon.  
"Hi, dad!" I cry.  
"Rodrigo! Oh, thank god, you're alright." Simon replies, evidently relieved.  
"I'm fine, we just moved campus for the third years." I answer. "Um, I have a friend I'd like you to meet. She's a mundane, but she isn't... She likes vampires. And she's a huge Star Wars geek. Can she come over?".  
There's a pause, and eventually Simon says:  
"She likes Star Wars, you say?".  
I laugh, knowing that's a yes. Claudia looks thrilled when I tell her, and we both settle down to a good night's rest, divided only by the barrier in the bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On the 'blood, sweat and tears' line, all I can think of is "la vie tum numul" or whatever it is that Jimin's saying. I unfortunately don't speak Korean.
> 
> And of course it wouldn't be Down Like A Warlock without the incorrect dorm number.


	15. City of Shut Up and Study (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rodrigo's going home, but there's a few unwelcome guests in the Institute that may make Christmas a little harder to deal with this year...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know Simon is Jewish. No, I didn't know that when writing.  
> Let's just say he went with Raphael's traditions and called it Christmas.

A strange sense of dread washes over me as I get up, groggily, and rub my eyes. Claudia's still asleep - and looks oddly cute, too - and, checking my phone, I have 23 missed calls and 41 unread messages.  
\- Missed call from Simon Lewis.  
\- Missed call from Simon Lewis.  
\- Missed call from Simon Lewis.  
There's about 20 missed calls from Simon, and eventually I scroll down to one that isn't Simon -  
\- Missed call from Alexander Lightwood.  
I stare at my phone for a few moments. Alec Lightwood? Isabelle's brother? The archer? Why would HE be calling me? I turn back to the phone screen, and find there's also two missed calls from Heron. I get out of bed, and go into the kitchen (so that I don't wake Claudia), then call Heron back. He picks up almost instantly.  
"Hello?" He asks.  
"Yello, Lightwood." I reply, and Heron snorts.  
"Ah, Royo. I was beginning to think you'd never answer." He replies, coolly.  
I force myself not to growl.  
"Well, if you INSIST on calling me at 2am, you won't get a response." I say, almost as coolly.  
"You don't sleep. I didn't think I was interrupting anything." Heron replies.   
I have to hand it to him, he does know how to get on someone's nerves.  
"Look, Lightwood, whatever you're insinuating..." I all but growl the name 'Lightwood'.  
"I'm not insinuating anything. If it helps, my dormmate and I have a divide too." He answers, voice as innocent as Magnus in an arts and crafts shop.  
I blink a few times, and roll my eyes.  
"Whatever. Anyway, why did you call me? Why did Alec call me? And do you have any idea why Simon called me 20 times?" I ask, knowing that if anyone has answers, it'll be him.  
There's a heavily pregnant pause, and finally Heron answers.  
"Maryse Lightwood is in the Institute. It might not be a great time for you to come.".

I don't need to breathe, but I find myself short of breath. Maryse Lightwood? The woman who was horrified at her son falling hard and fast for a warlock? The woman who sees Downworlders as lesser beings, no matter what? All senses of calmness abandon ship, and I don't notice that I'm hyperventilating until Claudia hands me a glass of water and tells me to breathe slowly.  
"What... What just happened?" I ask, unwilling to get up.  
"You had a panic attack, Royo." Claudia replies, softly.  
"I - I - I... I what?" I blink a few times. This is new for me.  
Claudia sinks down onto the floor next to me.  
"You got too worked up, or scared, about, or over, something that's just happened, or something that may happen - or even something that happened years ago." She explains, voice still warm and comforting.  
I stare at the floor, feeling somewhat ashamed. A panic attack over Maryse Lightwood? I won't live that down anytime soon.  
"I need to call Heron back." I say, weakly, and Claudia hands me my phone.  
"I already told him." She says, gently. "He said he wasn't all that surprised.".  
That doesn't surprise me. Heron knows everything about everyone. Of course he'd be able to predict that I'd have a minor mental breakdown over Maryse Lightwood.  
"What was your panic attack over, anyway?" Claudia asks.  
"There aren't many times when I say this, but - don't ever ask that question again." I reply, and push myself off the floor. I nearly fall over again, but Claudia steadies me.  
"I understand, Royo. We all have secrets we must keep." She smiles.

A few hours later, our backpacks are packed and the beach hut is securely locked. Heron, Rune, Jace Jr (a Lightwood-Bane, not a Lightwood), William, and Sebastian are all already at the Institute. Apparently I'm the last one of us going home for Christmas - which Rune isn't happy about, because I haven't persuaded her parabatai, Sophia, to come home. Claudia and I spend a few moments on the sofa in the main room, waiting for our lift to the Institute. Almost as soon as I ping off a text to Luke, asking what the transport situation is, a portal appears in the living room, and a Seelie that I've never seen before steps out of it.  
"Mr Santiago-Lewis?" She asks, and I nod. She turns to Claudia.  
"Claudia Zimmerman..." Claudia states, almost stammering.   
The Seelie nods, and gestures us both toward the portal. I take Claudia's hand, and we walk through the portal, into the Institute. The portal closes seconds later, and the Seelie runs off to the main Seelie Court Portal in the opposite wing.  
"Well, we're here." I say, as calmly as I can. We're in Team Jace's area, and I'm surprised that Jace Wayland/Herondale/Lightwood hasn't put barriers around it. It's easy enough to navigate my way out of his territory, and into the main hall, but it's a little unnerving how the Seelie managed to portal from there.

"Rodrigo!" Simon cries, clocking my entrance. He runs up to me, and hugs me tightly, with a toothy - or, rather, 'fangy' - grin.   
"Hi, dad." I reply, hugging him back.  
He lets me go, then smiles at me.  
"I see you're more a Raph-type style guy. He was right, his tuxedo really does suit you." He says, and sighs. "I wish I could give you better news, as it's Christmas and everything, but unfortunately the Seelies are refusing to give Raph up.".  
If he had dog ears, they'd be flopping by the sides of his head.  
"You being here is enough." I reply, and Simon gives me a sad smile.  
"You've always been such a charming vampire." He replies. "You'd almost think you weren't a vampire.".  
Claudia finally reappears, after what I'm guessing was a quick walk around Team Jace's area, and smiles at Simon, before breaking into an oddly serious demeanor.  
"That thing was a Seelie, right?" She asks me, gesturing back at Team Jace's area.  
I nod, and then look confused.  
"Hang on, how do you know what a Seelie looks like? I distinctly remember telling you that they're 'annoying evil fairies', and that's not enough to go 'aha, that's a Seelie' from." I reply.   
Claudia rolls her eyes in mock annoyance.  
"The Seelie Queen came to the penthouse once. That was when my suspicions of you being a vampire were confirmed." She answers.  
Simon looks up, abruptly.  
"The Seelie Queen visited your penthouse?" He asks, shocked.  
"Yes, then she made me drop the mundane disguise, I went over to Rune's about two weeks later, and got an earful as to how I'm dating Claudia here, when I'm not." I reply, accidentally letting my voice drip with sarcasm. "So basically, another day at the office.".  
Simon doesn't say a word, and drops his head, deep in thought. Claudia nudges me in the side.  
"Oh, right. Are the Seelies now the Institute's personal portaliers?" I ask.  
Simon looks up again, and shakes his head.  
"They have a permanent portal from here to the Seelie Court, but they're not our personal portalmakers. I think the Seelie Queen wanted to make sure you got here safely." He answers.  
"Since when did the Seelies care about safety?" Jace Wayland/Herondale/Lightwood asks from the other side of the room.  
"They may be manipulative little vixens, but they're not ones to break promises." Simon answers, still thinking.  
So the Seelie Queen also promised to keep us safe while we're in the mundane college - but why would she play around with our relationship drama? I shrug it off. It's all part of being a Seelie, I suppose.

A portal opens next to the one to the Seelie Court, and Magnus and William step out. Jace Jr walks over, having waited for well over an hour for their arrival. He's a patient waiter, just a little incompetent at times.  
"Welcome home, Rodrigo." Magnus smiles, and bows graciously. William and Jace Jr smile too, and Jace Jr actually hugs me.  
"What was that for?" I ask, when he lets me go.  
"Well, this may come as a surprise to you, but I actually missed you, Rodrigo." Jace Jr answers. He's right, it is a surprise - but a pleasant one.  
"It's strange how people you barely know can become such a close family." I muse.  
"One hell of a dysfunctional one, but yeah..." Jace Jr muses alongside me, until the familiar snapping of fingers makes us both jump.  
The Institute is once again coated in a layer of glitter, and I can see a vein throbbing in Jace's forehead. Simon looks about ready to kill Magnus, but he's also refraining from it. William picks up a handful of glitter, and I know what's coming.  
"GLITTERBALL FIGHT!" Magnus yells, and everyone forgets their mini-feuds to once again throw large balls of glitter at each other.

Maryse Lightwood walks curtly into the main hall, carefully avoiding the molehills of glitter. Alec Lightwood walks in after her, making a beeline for Magnus, William and Jace Jr.  
"Welcome back, all of you." She says, stiffly, obviously realising that there's about five Downworlders and one mundane in the room. "It's an honour, and a privilege, to have you back.".  
She looks all of us Downworlders dead in the eye, letting us know that while we may be equal to the Nephilim, she'll never give us a warm welcome. After a few more sentences that I don't pay attention to, she saunters out of the room. Magnus comes over to me, and apologises.  
"It's really me that brought this hatred of Downworlders into the Institute." He begins, and for one terrible second, I think he regrets being with Alec. "But I wouldn't change that for the world, because I wouldn't be happy otherwise.". All my worries about a potential Malec breakup are quelled, and Magnus returns to his husband's side, watching as Alec begins teaching Jace Jr how to use a bow and arrow.  
"Oh, the joys of being a dysfunctional family." I laugh, and Simon laughs too.  
"Dysfunctionality or bust, you know how it is." Simon laughs back.  
Claudia picks up a handful of glitter, and Magnus' eyes light up.  
"Oh, hell no." Simon mutters. He enjoys it secretly, and I can see a glimmer of a smile still on his face.  
"Oh, hell YES." Magnus corrects him, and for the second time in three hours, a full-on glitterball fight is underway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here ends Season 2A!  
> 2B will begin when I post chapter 16 tomorrow.
> 
> If you're wondering what the random 51st chapter is - that's the epilogue.


	16. City of Shut Up and Study (Part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Seelie Queen isn't as bad as she seems, and Rodrigo admits how he really feels to Rune. But will Rune ever reciprocate this vampire's love, or will Claudia get it instead?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: The dialogue at the end of this chapter comes directly from the Mortal Instruments books. It's originally said between Magnus and Alec.

A day passes after the glitterball fights ensue, and Christmas is among us. The Institute doesn't feel like home - for two reasons. One is the obvious fact that Raph isn't here, and two is the fact that Maryse Lightwood IS here. I don't need to breathe, but when around Maryse, I can't breathe. I think I've suffered four panic attacks since the one at college. And this time, I haven't let anyone know about them. Not even Claudia. She's a lovely girl, but she'll only ask what the attacks are over, and that's not a conversation I'd like to get into. And then Simon'll get concerned that I haven't told him at all.  
"Merry Christmas, Royo." Simon smiles, hovering in my bedroom doorway.  
"Merry Christmas, dad." I reply, sleepily.  
Simon walks over, and sits down on the end of the bed.  
"It may be a long shot, but we could try going to the Seelie Court and asking if we could see Raph..." He begins.  
I don't need to be told twice. I hug Simon, hard, who hugs me back tightly, and then let him go so I can get changed. Claudia walks in from the other room, and both she and Simon leave me to it. I notice that my fangs are practically bathed in blood, and then remember that I was biting my lower lip so hard yesterday that I've probably done some serious damage to it. I shrug, lick the blood off, and walk out into the living room, where Claudia and Simon are waiting.  
"Thank god." Simon mutters. "I thought I was going to get an earful from Jace as to how only one of his kids decided to come back. It's not my fault that Alka and Fiona are doing extra credit, or whatever it is.".  
As I walk further into the living room, I notice that Claudia's pressed her entire body against the door, and there's a familiar yell of "BY THE ANGEL, LEWIS!" coming from the other side.  
"Quarantining him in here might've been easier, because now we can't get out." I point out, and Simon's face suddenly drops with an 'ah, crap' air to it. I then continue. "Also, if it helps, Max Lightwood-Bane is also doing extra credit.".  
"Magnus and Alec don't mind - in fact, they're thrilled that Max is attempting to boost his grades - but Jace will get skinned alive by Clary if anything happens to their kids." Simon responds, finally getting up.  
"To the Seelie Court?" Claudia asks.  
Simon and I nod.  
"Just don't touch anything, and keep your mouth shut if possible." Simon advises her. "The Seelies aren't fond of mundanes.".

After a half-hour of bribing Jace to get out of the way, we finally manage to get to the Seelie Court portal. We all step through it, and arrive at the Seelie Court, eliciting a smile from the Seelie Queen.  
"I knew you'd come back, Daylighter." She says, addressing Simon.  
"Because I have our son this time." Simon replies, not missing a beat.  
A Seelie Slave tries to drag Claudia away, but I slap their hands to the side with a "get your hands off my mundane". The Slave obediently leaves Claudia alone.  
"What is it that you're after this time?" The Seelie Queen asks.  
"Exactly what I've been after the previous fifteen times." Simon replies, growling.  
Claudia and I stare at Simon. He's been down here fifteen times already, trying to get Raph back? That's what you call commitment. I'd die if I did that - not because the journey is taxing, but because the Seelies would eventually see me as a way to get Simon down here for good, and kill me so he'd be trapped. I shudder, and tear myself out of my thoughts.  
"And why should we let you have the Nightwalker back? Have you retrieved your werewolf traitor from the Clave?" The Seelie Queen asks, her voice now pressing.  
Simon hesitates.  
"No." He answers, after about a minute. "But are you really going to deny him the chance to see his only son at Christmas?".  
The Seelie Queen considers this.  
"I may be a trickster, but I don't separate families." She replies. I snort - my family has been separated since it was formed by her, but I suppose she means she doesn't do it often.  
"So...?" Claudia asks, raising her eyebrows.  
"Who let the mundane stay here?" A random Seelie asks, before they're silenced by Meliorn, who's been hiding in the shadows this whole time.  
"The mundane has heart. She accepts the Daylighters for who they are, and doesn't judge based on appearances. She has every reason to stay." The Seelie Queen replies, swiftly.  
Simon looks completely bemused. He was expecting Claudia to get silenced (like the random Seelie that Meliorn disposed of), but instead the Seelie Queen... Likes her?  
"You may see your Nightwalker husband, until all the petals on this rose turn black." The Seelie Queen answers, eventually, and hands Simon a small, blood-red rose. He nods gratefully, and Meliorn escorts us all in the direction of where they're holding Raph.

The holding bay door opens, and closes once we're all inside. Raph's sat on one of the beds, peering outside of the window to see beyond the Court. There isn't much, but it's probably a better view than the inside of a cell.  
"Raphael!" Simon breathes, and hugs him tightly. Raph jumps, but returns the hug. They break apart, and I give a small wave. Raph's paler than I remember him, but still looks reasonably healthy. The nasty looking cut he obtained to his right cheekbone during the fight against the Clave is gone, so evidently he's not treated too badly.  
"Royo!" Raph cries, and it's my turn to get hugged tightly. He lets me go after a while, and smiles at me. "Still as handsome as ever, I see. College hasn't changed you at all.". He sounds like he's about to cry, but keeps himself composed. He turns to Simon, a curious look on his face. "How did you get past the Seelie Queen?".  
"We didn't." Claudia says, from somewhere behind me. I take her arms gently, and push her forward. She continues, voice still steady. "We had to get through the Seelie Queen.".  
Raph's nostrils flare once or twice, but he doesn't try and mock Claudia.  
"Who knew a mundane could be so accepting..." He says, after a while. He smiles at her. "Thank you for taking care of my son.".  
Claudia smiles back.  
"It's a privilege, really." She replies.  
"It's good to see you, dad." I smile, and I can feel the tears threatening my eyes. For once, though, I don't care.   
"It's good to see you too, Royo." Raph replies, an earnest air of happiness in his voice.  
Simon coughs, and we all look to see that the rose is nearly fully black. Raph stands up, and gently places a hand on my shoulder.  
"Damnit, Sunshine." He barks at Simon, who giggles slightly. "I told you to make sure he didn't get taller than me!".  
This makes us all laugh, and Claudia has to fight to be able to squeak out: "Well, if you are only 5 foot 9...". Everyone begins laughing anew. When finally the giggles clear, Raph looks me dead in the eyes.  
"I heard from the Seelies that Maryse Lightwood is in the Institute. Don't you dare let her tell you that you're not as good as a Nephilim, nor not as intelligent. We all know that's a lie. Don't let anyone tell you that, OK?" He says, gently.   
I nod.  
"Not even yourself." Raph finishes.  
I nod again, and hug him, not wanting to let him go. Meliorn has to drag me away from him, but Meliorn promises that he'll get Raph out sooner rather than later, and that hopefully we won't be separated for much longer.  
It's a nice thought to hang onto.

We arrive back at the Institute, and Rune is waiting by the Seelie Court portal. She hisses slightly upon seeing Claudia, but smiles somewhat coldly at me.  
"On a scale of 1 to horrific, how'd it go down with the Seelie Queen?" She asks.  
I smile.  
"Brilliantly, actually. She's not as bad as we all expected." I reply.  
Rune's jaw drops, and Simon and Claudia excuse themselves, to give us a little time alone.  
"The only thing Raph's really annoyed about is the fact I'm taller than him. Ignoring the obvious fact that he's stuck with the Seelies, of course." I add.  
"Raphael has always loved being around you, even if he doesn't show it." Rune says, smiling a little. "It doesn't take a genius to figure out that you're one of the most important things in life to him.".  
I smile, then frown a little. Rune allows a flicker of concern to cross her face, before she returns it to its neutral resting boredom face.  
"I feel bad knowing he's the only Nightwalker. Both me and Simon are Daylighters." I say, quietly.  
"Wait, he's not a Daylighter?" Rune asks, surprise evident in her voice. "You'd think from all the times he bit my mother, he'd be a Daylighter, but I suppose not...".  
"I'm not sure if it works like that..." I reply, slowly.  
Rune thinks for a moment.  
"How did Simon become a Daylighter?" She asks.  
"He drank Jace's blood." I reply. It's a story I know well, due to just how grateful Simon is to Jace for it.  
"How did you become a Daylighter?" Rune asks, then slaps her own forehead.  
"I drank your blood." I reply, laughing a little at Rune's sudden realisation.  
Rune nods, laughing too.  
"Yep." She says, in between snorts. "I remember it well.".  
A few minutes pass, and then I look at Rune, a little more seriously.  
"Claudia's not my girlfriend, Rune." I say, simply.  
"Are you sure?" She asks, skeptical as always.  
I nod solemnly.  
"Have I ever lied to you?" I ask her, keeping every element of my voice steady and solemn.  
"Well, then I suppose you deserve an apology." Rune answers, and takes my left hand. "I am sincerely sorry for yelling at you that day, Royo.".  
I smile.  
"You are forgiven." I reply, and Rune smiles in relief.  
"I suppose we could be something some day..." Rune trails off, and I resist every urge to kiss her then and there, as Jacob Herrington walks in right as she says that.  
I look from Rune to Jacob, from Jacob to Rune, and shake my head.  
"Good god. You're in love with Jacob, aren't you?" I ask, in disbelief.  
Rune looks affronted.  
"What? No!" She cries, and Jacob looks offended by how defensively she says it.  
I'm not sure what to think. I don't have time, as I'm shoved against a wall in the opposite corner of the room by Jacob.  
"Just tell me you're in love with Rune, and I'll stop keeping tabs on where you are, and what you're doing with her." He says, nearly growling.  
"I... I don't... I..." I can't form a coherent sentence. I already admitted to Claudia a few days ago that I do indeed love Rune, but I can't tell her dormmate that - especially if he loves her too. Jacob's eyes are practically fires, burning a hole in my own eyes. If looks could kill, I'd certainly be six feet under by now. "What does this have to do with a wall?" I manage to cry.  
Jacob's hauled off me by Alec Lightwood, and Rune runs over.  
"I know you may not believe me, nor have any reason to after I didn't believe you, but I don't have any feelings of any kind toward Jacob. He's just my dormmate." She says, near tears.  
I smile, and take her hand gently.  
"I already forgave you for that.". I answer.  
Jacob is dragged out of the room by Alec, leaving Rune and I alone again.  
"You love me, don't you?" She asks, a smile playing on her face.  
"You stupid Nephilim." I shake my head with a smile. "Why do you think I'm here?".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this is so late. To compensate for missing posting, I'll be posting up until the start of 3B today.  
> Enjoy!


	17. City of Shut Up and Study (Part 5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Runedrigo spends some time together, Rodrigo makes himself useful, and a greater demon kidnaps a Shadowhunter. Can Team Rune get them back?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: It took me a while to figure out how to shoehorn in any kind of danger to this season, but then I very quickly figured it out. This ended up shaping the entirety of the rest of Down Like A Warlock.

For a few moments, all I do is stand there, looking into Rune's bright eyes. There's a mixture of emotions clouding my judgement (I didn't realise growing up meant dying inside, but hey, it's whatever), and there's one main emotion that makes everything else feel irrelevant. I'm not stupid, I know what that main emotion is - but it scares me. What I'm feeling -  
"I better check on mum." Rune says, after a while.  
I nod.  
"Extend my regards." I smile, and Rune smiles back.  
"Will do." She replies, and walls out of the room.  
\- This is love, new and bright, and terrifying.

A few days go by, and although everyone knows that I admitted to loving Rune, no-one mentions it. The only thing that's ever really explicitly mentioned is how dead Jace'll be if anything happens to Alka and/or Fiona. Heron can fend for himself, plus he's in the Institute where Jace can easily keep tabs on him. Not so much for the other two. Nothing really happens, and the Institute settles into a quiet, chaotic tranquil. Well, nothing's ever normal when you've got the Unholy Glitter Trinity (even when they're missing a member, they're still as mischievous as ever) around.

Jacob is forcibly sent back to college by a pissed-off Alec and a few Seelies, making me (metaphorically) breathe a sigh of relief. Rune's not too sad to see him gone, either. Jace Jr walks into the room, and after hugging Alec and Magnus tightly, says goodbye to us all, as he's off to college too. He steps into the Seelies' portal, and disappears.  
"Why do our children dislike staying here?" Magnus asks, concerned.  
"I don't know, Magnus. Maybe because there's a lot of drama going on at the minute, and they came back here to escape their drama, not get a front-row seat to ours." Jace replies, within seconds. He gently slaps Claudia's hand away from his Sereph blade, and she recoils with a small apology.  
Magnus looks around for a few seconds, before realising that he's lost Alec.  
"I've misplaced my Alexander." He says, quietly.  
I step forward.  
"Magnus, if I may?" I ask, and he nods.  
"Do whatever you'll think will get him back here." He answers.  
I cup my hands around my mouth, and yell "MAGNUS BANE SUCKS!" making Jace jump about a foot in the air. From the other side of the room, a Seelie yells back "DAMN RIGHT!". Needless to say, we all ignore them. A few moments pass, before Alec saunters into the room, bow and arrow in hand, looking like he could murder someone.  
"What the HELL did you just say?" He asks, staring at us all.  
I smile at Magnus, who smiles back.  
"Found him." I say, quietly.

"I can't believe you yelled 'Magnus Bane sucks' to find Alec." Rune says, in wonder, as the sun slowly sinks below the horizon.  
"Everyone knows that's how you find Alec. Insult his husband and he'll come running." I respond, watching as the moon slowly rises, bathing the black sky in a whitish glow.  
"What do you think happened to the random Seelie?" Rune asks.  
"What, the 'damn right' one?" I reply, snorting at the memory.  
"Yes, the 'damn right' one." Rune nods, a smirk emerging on her face.  
"Probably got sent back to the Seelie Court with a note attached to her back, saying 'kick me'." I reply, and Rune bursts out laughing. "I think I made Jace soil himself, though.".  
Rune just laughs harder, and eventually collapses on the floor. She's not down for long, as she picks up her Sereph blade, pats me on the shoulder, and wishes me a good night. I don't know how long I spend just watching the moon, but I do know that I spend most of that time wondering just how on earth I managed to fall for a Nephilim.

Claudia walks into my room shortly after 8am, and I greet her with a sleepy smile.  
"Honestly, the morning welcoming committee is lovely, but don't you need sleep?" I ask, and she shrugs.  
"Probably." She answers. "But since there's a Seelie always staring at me as I leave the Institute, it's kind of hard to sleep.".  
I sit up, bolt upright.  
"You're being stalked... By a Seelie?!" I ask, incredulously. And here I was, thinking I'd heard everything.  
Claudia nods.  
"Alright. I'll get Simon to keep an eye on them." I say, eventually, and Claudia hugs me.  
"Thank you." She says, simply.  
A little while later, we arrive back at the Institute, where Rune and Heron are waiting.  
"If you hear any yelling, that's just my parents' marriage failing." Heron says, with a cheeky grin.  
I smile, trying not to laugh, but Claudia looks serious.  
"Why is their marriage failing?" She asks. "Can I help?".  
"Help fail their marriage, or help stop it failing?" Rune asks, looking confused.  
I don't blame her, I'm confused too.  
A cheeky grin disturbingly similar to Heron's appears on Claudia's face.  
"Have fun guessing which one." She answers, and Heron bursts out laughing.  
"And here I thought mundanes were boring." He says, after the laughing has subsided.  
William walks in, and stares at us all.  
"I thought someone was dying. Are you all alright?" He asks, worry etched on his face.  
"You're a bit late." Rune replies, pointing at the dead Seelie in the corner. I peer at it, and realise that she's none other than the 'damn right' Seelie, but there's claw marks on her, evident of a werewolf attack.  
"Wow, Luke must've been angry about something." Heron says, clocking the claw marks.  
"Other than his son working for the Clave?" I reply, sarcastically.  
"I'm 'something'." Jace says, walking into the room. "And before you ask, I have no idea what I did, either.".  
William makes a duck face. He walks over to the dead Seelie, and studies the claw marks closely. Jace, Heron and I follow suit, leaving Rune and Claudia to talk with each other.  
"Those aren't werewolf claws..." Heron gasps, after a while.  
"A demon's been here." I say, and everyone's faces pale.  
"Is anyone missing?" Jace asks, looking around.  
William bites his lower lip.  
"Jace Jr and Max are back at college, as are Alka, Fiona, Sebastian, and Jacob..." He says, counting on his fingers.  
It suddenly dawns on us all that no-one's seen Sophia in a while, and almost as if on cue with our realisation, Rune falls to the floor in severe pain. Claudia catches her, and we all stare at each other, not knowing what to do. 

Magnus and Alec show up relatively quickly, followed by Isabelle, then Simon, then (oh, the horror) Maryse, and finally Clary. Alec darts over to Rune's side, and Isabelle walks over shortly after. Maryse calls a meeting with the entire of the Institute, and soon enough, everyone in the building shows up.  
"We are in a state of emergency." Maryse begins. "We are missing one of our finest Shadowhunters. It is believed that a greater demon has taken her, but her whereabouts are unknown.".  
Alec looks over at me, we both nod, and switch places by Rune's side. Rune takes a hold of my hand, and I look down at her.  
"Please find her..." She says, slowly. I've never had a parabatai, so I've never known of the pain one feels when the other is seriously injured - but if it hurts more than Rune's injuries from the skirmish at the Seelie Court, then it must hurt like hell.  
"The Shadowhunters among us will go out to look for her, while our..." Maryse takes a moment. "While our Downworlder friends stay here, and ensure that no-one else goes missing.".  
With that, Maryse finishes the meeting, and the Shadowhunters whose names I don't know run off, out of the building. Magnus, William, Simon and I glance at each other. Maryse only wants us here so she knows where we are. Evidently she doesn't think we can successfully bring Sophia back, or is scared we'll do some harm to her, because she specified that only the Shadowhunters will be looking for Sophia.  
"I'll stay with her." Jace says. "You lot go and find Sophia.".  
All of us Downworlders just stare at Jace. The least likely person to offer to help us, is helping us. I nod at Jace, thanking him, and he nods back.  
"You heard the man." I begin. "Let's go.".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The bit about love at the start is also taken directly from the books.  
> I'm nowhere near as good a writer as Cassandra Clare, so I do admit to borrowing some of her beautiful dialogue and description.


	18. War of Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Downworlders among Team Rune set off to find Sophia, but an unpleasant revelation may change the entire course of the mission...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: The title is from the song "War of Hearts" by Ruelle, but has no actual relation to it other than Rodrigo's internal battle.

Thanking Jace more than thrice, Claudia, Simon, William, Magnus and I run out of the Institute, in an attempt to find Sophia. We don't get very far, when a portal opens, and the Seelie Queen steps out.  
"Ah, your majesty..." Magnus begins.  
"What an unpleasant surprise." I finish his sentence.  
The Seelie Queen merely laughs, and smiles graciously at us all. Even surrounded by those who'd love nothing more than to kill her, she's not fazed and as polite as ever.  
"How may I help you?" She says, turning to face William.  
Magnus looks more than a little shocked that his own son is the spokesman for all of us, but it soon clicks in my head. The deal we made down in the Court, when we were searching for Devan - the Seelies would help us, but they would only obey William, as he was the one they interrogated. The deal also dictates that Raph stays down with the Seelies until Devan is recaptured and under the Institute's control, something that never fails to make me hiss. William isn't fazed in the slightest, and smiles back at the Seelie Queen.  
"May we take this inside?" He asks, and the Seelie Queen nods. She takes his hand, and they walk into the Institute. After a few seconds of trying to work out what just happened, the rest of us follow suit.

There's an audible hiss from Rune as the Seelie Queen walks in, still holding William's hand.  
"Couldn't you have chosen a better suitor?" She says, her words sounding strangled.  
William doesn't say anything, and Magnus' jaw clenches.  
"So, William, what is it that you require?" The Seelie Queen asks, eventually.  
"What's going on between you two?" Magnus interrupts, just as Alec walks in the room.  
William's brilliant yellow cat eyes flicker from one person to the other.  
"Do you remember the interrogation at the Court?" He asks. We all nod. He continues: "That deal we made still holds, as we don't have Devan back under our control yet. I'm still in command of the Seelie army, and I can call upon a favour from the Queen if I wish to.".  
None of us move.  
"What does that have to do with her reappearance outside?" I ask.  
"I called her, in the hopes she'd be able to help." William answers, not looking at anyone. "I know there's easier ways of tracking down a single Nephilim, but if you have an all-powerful fairy queen at your beck and call, you're probably going to want to make use of that too, aren't you?".  
He turns back to the Seelie Queen.  
"Do you have any potential whereabouts on Sophia's location?" He asks.  
The Seelie Queen nods, and two portals open. Raph steps out of one, this time unaccompanied by any Seelies, and - of all people - Sebastian Herondale steps out of the other. Jace growls, but manages to stay by Rune's side.  
"I have but one request of Rodrigo." She says, and William nods.  
I step forward. Something tells me I won't like where this is going.

"Raphael, Sebastian, stand on either side of me." The Seelie Queen all but barks, and both dutifully do as they've been told. A few more Seelies appear, and attempt to restrain Raph, but when he bears his fangs and snarls, they back away.  
"What do you want, your Highness?" I ask, fangs threatening to give away my internalised anger.  
"Your blood is not your own." The Seelie Queen states.  
I nod.  
"If you're talking about the fact that I'm adopted, I know. Raph and Simon have always been honest with that." I answer.  
The Seelie Queen shakes her head.  
"You were, once, not a vampire." She says.  
I nod again.  
"I know that too, as vampires can't have children." I answer.  
The Seelie Queen looks despairing. I glance at Raph, and his face is consumed by guilt and shock. What on earth is happening?  
"Before you were Turned... You were a Nephilim." The Seelie Queen begins.  
Absolutely everyone gasps, and Jace nearly faints. Magnus, however, looks perfectly calm. Sebastian looks at the Seelie Queen, an expression of interested anger on his face. Raph's face is now painted with an emotion that's somewhere between fear and dread.  
"You were Turned as an infant." The Seelie Queen continues.  
Sebastian looks like he's connecting several dots inside his head, and eventually looks like someone's told him that everything he's ever known has been one long nightmare. It feels like it has been to me sometimes, but I know it's just my more-than-messed-up reality.  
"What are you saying?" Sebastian asks, eventually, as if wanting confirmation of his realisation.  
"The vampire that stands in front of you is your son." The Seelie Queen answers.  
And Raph's cool demeanor vanishes as he falls to the ground, consumed and overwhelmed by guilt and fear. Simon runs over to him, and peering closely, I can see that Raph is actually sobbing. Sebastian looks from the Seelie Queen to me, and walks over.  
"So this is where we meet again." He says, his calm upper-class English accent biting at my insides.  
"I don't know who you are." I reply, fangs bared.  
Sebastian chuckles a little.  
"Understandable. We haven't seen each other since you were three months old." He answers, a cool thumb gently stroking my cheek. I pull away.  
Almost everyone has their Sereph blade out, with Alec pointing his bow at Sebastian.  
"I'm 19 now. I've been a vampire for 18 years and nine months, and you haven't once thought of looking for me?" I ask, voice hoarse. Raph and Simon are my parents - they've shown me all the love and warmth that you'd expect from your parents, and a little more, like they couldn't bear to lose me. Now I know why. I know Seelies can't lie, and I believe the Seelie Queen in that Sebastian is my birth father, but I don't accept it. Sebastian hasn't checked in all the 18 years I've been a vampire, to see if I'm alright. Some father he is.  
"I thought you were dead." Sebastian answers, choking a little. I can't tell if he's happy to see me again, or angry that I'm a vampire. Either way, I don't care.  
"It's always better to check." I reply, and walk in the direction of the sobbing Raph. Before I can do much more, I feel a horrible, stabbing pain in my chest, and look down to see Sebastian's Sereph blade embedded in my suit.  
"The beauty of you being this Nephilim-vampire hybrid, is that Sereph blades can hurt you, but they can't kill you. Your vampirism is screeching in agony, and the Nephilim in you is trying its best to save your life. You won't die, so don't be scared." Sebastian whispers, voice dangerously cold.  
Saying 'don't be scared' only goes so far when there's a Sereph blade embedded in your chest, and when the person you've just found out is your father goes psycho over your rejection, and tries to kill you.  
One thing's for sure - I am absolutely terrified.  
I bet Sophia is too, wherever she may be.  
Sebastian releases me from the Sereph blade, and I fall to the floor, as helpless and in as much pain as Rune.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are getting a little darker now, but if you think this is dark, you might not want to read season 5.


	19. Where oh-where oh-where-wolf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As ugly truths surface, Rodrigo is faced with a hard choice. The love of his life's parabatai, or his dormmate?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: By "Sebastian Herondale", I meant "Jonathan Morgenstern", and for the purposes of this fic, Lilith is his mother, with Jocelyn being his adoptive mother.

Everything hurts, and I can't get up. Mentally, I'm probably fine. Emotionally, I'm being destroyed, bit of pain by bit of pain. Physically... Well, I wouldn't be lying on the floor if I was alright. My vision clouds, and then suddenly clears. The wound in my chest reaches a mental breaking point of pain, then suddenly vanishes. Nothing hurts anymore. Am I dead? No. That'd be nice, but I'm not. I look up, with my newly crisp vision, and see Raph breathing out in utter relief. I turn my head, and see Alec and Jace giving Sebastian hell - a more honourable punishment than he deserves - and Isabelle sat by her daughter, who's still in sheer pain. I don't know what they're doing to Sophia, but it's a miracle she isn't dead yet, judging by the pain Rune's suffering.  
"What... What happened...?" I manage to croak.  
"The vampire in you was crying out in agony, while the Nephilim in you was fighting to save your life. Eventually, the two must've cancelled each other out, or worked with each other, and saved your life. We also think the Nephilim in you has finally reawakened, making you half vampire, quarter angel, and quarter mundane." Magnus explains. Raph's too relieved to move.  
I grin at him.  
"Pass me a Sereph blade." I say, finally sitting up.  
Magnus hesitates, then gets Heron to pass me a Sereph blade. I take it gently from Heron's shaking hands, and almost immediately, a dull glow surfaces. Raph looks up, and stares in wonder at the blade.  
"Only Nephilim can activate one of those..." He says, then smiles when he sees that I'm holding it. "Welcome back, Royo.".  
I attempt to get to my feet, but almost topple, so Heron and Raph help me get up. Once I'm back on my feet, I'm fine. We all look over at Sebastian, who's still being given hell by Alec and Jace, and laugh. It's quite a funny sight to see. Eventually, the parabatai overpower Sebastian, and the monstrous Nephilim is taken back by the Seelies. The worn-out parabatai walk over to the rest of us, and Jace hugs me upon seeing I'm alright.  
"Little Raphael lives." He says, and we all laugh. Alec respectfully keeps his distance, but I pounce on him, giving him what Claudia terms an 'attack hug'.  
"The Clave's envoy is on their way." Jace says, looking down at his phone.  
Everyone groans.  
Not more business with the Clave.

The Institute is scrubbed clean to a state of presentable-ness, and Rune is moved to her room. Isabelle decides to stay with Rune, while the rest of us stay in the main hall.  
"Can the Clave portal here?" Heron asks, in a hushed whisper.  
"Last time I checked, they didn't know the portal rune - and the Seelies are working for us, not the Clave." William answers, in the same hushed whisper.  
The soft pad of footsteps resonates within the Institute's halls, and we all straighten up (with the exception of Alec, who just stays where he is). The envoy turns the corner, and into the main hall, to reveal - Devan Garroway. Shocked gasps echo throughout the hall, and Devan smiles at us all. He looks a lot healthier than he did last time, his skin a much more natural colour than the deathly pale, his pupils a normal size, and his hands not shaking. I don't even try concealing a growl. After everything he's done, I really don't think there's much point in forgiving him. Nor trying to move on.  
"What the hell are you doing here?" I ask, all but snarling.  
"I'm the Clave's envoy. I was sent to check the state of the Institute." Devan replies, coolly.  
"The Institute is fine, thank you. In fact, I'm not thanking you, seeing as you almost got the Accords revoked, and we've spent god-knows-how-long mourning your traitorship." I reply, snapping.  
Devan recoils a little.  
"I'm not a traitor ." He says, quietly.  
"Yes, you are." I reply. "That entire fight in the Clave's headquarters was to get you back here. I apologised god-knows-how-many-times, and yet you chose the Clave over us. I didn't even do anything that bad!".  
Devan snarls. I don't flinch. Raph steps forward.  
"We made a deal with the Seelies that I'd stay down in the Court until you were back here, safe and home. I've been down there for so long, that snarling at a Seelie has become an acceptable form of saying 'piss off'." Raph snarls back.  
"Oh, and Sophia's in trouble. Rune's in severe pain due to the severe pain that Sophia's in." Heron adds, from the back.  
Devan's face suddenly pales.  
"Did you say 'Sophia'?" He asks, colour rapidly draining from his face.  
We all nod.  
"As in, Sophia Carstairs?" He asks again.  
We all nod, again. Any colour left in Devan's face abandons ship, and his ludicrously green eyes widen in what can only be described as fear.  
"The Clave has her..." He manages to say, weakly.  
"Thank you for your information." I reply, coolly.  
Everyone who'd been on standby suddenly lunges into action, and Devan is subdued in a matter of moments. We all turn to the Seelie Queen, who'd been waiting near the Seelie Court portal, and she smiles.  
"A deal is a deal." She says, and smiles at Raph, granting him his freedom. "But I think I'll continue working with you. You're all much more than you seem.".  
With that, she steps through the Seelie Court portal, and vanishes.

"So we've got Devan back, the Seelie Queen is still working with us, Raph's been freed from the Court... Oh, and the Clave has Sophia." Heron lists to Rune.  
"Well, go get her then." Rune answers.  
I nod, and Magnus sidles up to me, a little wary.  
"One of Devan's backup envoys took Claudia." He says, quietly.  
This gets a hiss from Rune, which surprises us all. I can't think straight now. Sophia and Claudia are under the Clave's control - and what if the Clave discovers that Claudia is a mundane? What if they already know? Will they place the rune that kills mundanes on her arm? Will they make her a mindless Clave servant? Will they send her to one of their cells?  
"We have to go to the Clave." I say, snapping out of my thoughts.  
Magnus is so shocked by this that he stops spraying glitter on Rune.  
"What?!" He chokes on air.  
"You heard me." I answer.  
"It's too dangerous, Rodrigo... Devan's a traitor to the Clave, and will likely try and go back to them, we know that now, but..." Magnus trails off.  
"I'm not going to prevent Devan from being reaccepted. I'm going for my dormmate." I reply, and Rune glares at me. "Oh, and Rune's parabatai.". Rune smiles.  
Magnus pauses.  
"If you insist... We're all with you." He says, eventually, looking defeated.  
William smiles.  
"Looks like it's time to call in the Seelie army again." He grins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Devan's back, back again. Devan's back, tell a friend.
> 
> If you think that's bad, you want to hear my Doctor Who version of BTS' Mic Drop...  
> Did you see my TARDIS, did you see my TARDIS? It's hella blue and it's hella big...


	20. The Warlock and the Nephilim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Clave is stormed, and the missing are found... But what will happen when true feelings clash with more mortal matters?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: The chapter title comes from the two main characters in this chapter - William (the warlock) and Rune (the Nephilim).

With the Seelie army by our sides, we storm the Clave. They give up relatively easily, after realising that it took us just under four minutes to subdue Devan. If we can subdue a werewolf in that time, god knows how quickly we can subdue a Nephilim. William rounds a corner after a Seelie knocks out the last of the Clave members, and gasps a little. We all come running, and there, lying on the floor, is a bloodied, bruised Claudia.  
"Well, she fought back..." Heron observes. He smiles at me. "Must've taught her well.".  
I don't look at him.  
"We never fought." I answer, my voice barely audible. "She must've done that herself.".  
Heron's smile only grows.  
"Feisty mundane, isn't she? I can see why you two get along." He grins, and I grimace at his innuendo.  
"Nothing of the sort, Lightwood. Get your mind out of the gutter." I reply, before kneeling by Claudia's side, checking for a pulse. It'll be easy to tell if she has one - I don't have one, so I can't mistake mine for hers.  
Magnus walks forward, and peers at an arrow on the floor by Claudia's left hand - it looks like Claudia scratched it into the wood herself.  
"Where does that arrow point to?" He ponders aloud, and William walks in the general direction of the arrow. He vanishes out of my field of view, but eventually we all breathe out (albeit Raph, Simon and I breathing out metaphorically) when we hear a yell of "SOPHIA!". William comes running back toward us, Sophia following him, ever-so-slightly slower.  
"You're alright." Jace Wayland/Herondale/Lightwood (seriously, what is this guy's name?) observes.  
"When you got here, I was. They were trying to burn the parabatai rune off. When you started storming the place, they all dropped everything and ran." Sophia explains.  
Jace and Alec stare at each other, before Alec stares at his own parabatai rune.  
"But why would they...?" He trails off.  
"Something about being stronger alone, or hardening up...? I'm not sure. I definitely heard them say that they no longer believed in parabatai." Sophia answers, now breathless.  
I stiffen, upon realising that I can't find a pulse, and fight the urge to break down. I've failed the one who immediately accepted that I wasn't human, with no regrets. Claudia can't be dead... But she is. I don't notice it, but eventually Raph sets a hand on my shoulder.  
"I know, pequeño." He says, softly. "I know.".  
The Seelies return to the Court after bidding us a good day, and William waves them off with a smile. That smile doesn't last long, when a bunch of Ravener demons storm the halls. They were obviously being held back by the Clave, but now their prison is unguarded, letting them out.  
Everyone fights them off, until one is remaining.   
I'm not sure which sound is worse - the deathly screech the Ravener makes as Alec's arrow pierces its heart, or the unearthly sound that comes from Magnus' mouth when he realises the Ravener's tail has pierced William's neck.

I take Claudia's body back to the Institute myself, and lie her gently down on one of the sofas. Rune, finally able to move, runs over to Sophia, and envelops her in one of Claudia's so-called 'attack hugs'. I think I see a tear roll down Rune's cheek. Claudia looks oddly peaceful lying where she is, a strange contrast to her usual bubbly self. Some sort of pang erupts in my chest, and I just sit there for a while, holding onto Claudia's limp, unresponsive hand.  
"You know, pequeño... I never told you how Sunshine became a vampire." Raph muses from behind me. I jump.  
"Jesus, Raph! You can't just... Just..." I stammer, and actually check where my heart is - although of course there's no telltale thudding.  
"I can't just what?" Raph asks, amused.  
"... Scare the living daylights out of someone." I manage to say.  
Raph chuckles.  
"If I may correct you... I believe you meant 'undead Daylighter out of someone'." He corrects me, and I can't help but smile.  
"Forgive me, for I have sinned." I reply, in a voice dripping with sarcasm, and Raph laughs.  
"You are forgiven." He smiles. I smile too, then that smile fades when I look back down at Claudia.  
"How did Simon become a vampire?" I ask.  
Raph walks to Claudia's other side.  
"He died, in a battle against the werewolves and vampires. His friends decided to bury him, and allow him to rise again as a vampire, instead of being dead forever." He answers, and there's a certain beauty in the way he says it.  
Rune walks in the room.  
"Do it." She says, and I stare at her in shock.  
"What?!" I manage to force myself to say.  
Rune walks over to us, and takes my hands away from Claudia.  
"The Seelie Queen got under my skin when she told me that you were dating Claudia. I believed her, and she only got under my skin because I thought you'd fallen for me - to tell the truth, I'd fallen for you during that period. Separation anxiety from you and Sophia was a nightmare for the first few weeks. I stayed away from you for a while, because I didn't want to believe that I'd fallen for a vampire, of all people. I guess I forgot that there's more to you than your vampirism. These past few days, seeing how much you'll risk for us all, has just confirmed what I feel." Rune explains.  
Raph's jaw quite unceremoniously drops, revealing his thin, but very strong fangs.  
"What are you saying?" I ask, in utter shock, after a few moments pass.  
Rune smiles.  
"You stupid Nephilim-vampire hybrid." She says. "I love you too.".

With Rune's confession and everyone's go-ahead to Turn Claudia, we bury her just outside the Institute, so we can keep an eye on her. The clock strikes 1am, and the earth where Claudia is buried begins to move. Everyone clears out to give Claudia and I some privacy, but just as I reach the door, my arm is tugged back, and before I have a chance to even think about making a startled noise, Rune's lips are on mine with a sort of controlled urgency. It's unpracticed, but it's powerful. Rune breaks away from me, smiles, and says: "Go get 'em, tiger.".  
So I do.  
I walk outside, where Claudia's finally managed to surface, and smile a little. It's good to see her again, even if she's not quite alive. I place a few blood bags in front of her, and respectfully turn away. One of the bags has Jace's blood in it - he agreed to let Claudia become a Daylighter, after realising that college would be hell on earth if she couldn't be in the sun. I feel a weak tap on my shoulder, and turn around, to see a bloody, fangy grin.  
"How are you feeling?" I ask gently, and Claudia shrugs.  
"Alright, I suppose." She replies. "It's good to see you, Royo.".  
I smile.  
"And you, Odie." I reply, gently, and Claudia smiles again. She pauses, and if it's at all possible, her face pales.  
"What is it?" I ask, again very gently.  
"I feel like I've died. I DID die, didn't I? The big black demon, it looked like a trilobite... And the Clave found out I'm a mundane..." Claudia trails off.  
I don't quite know what to say.  
"Weeeeeeeelll..." I eventually answer, rubbing the back of my neck.  
Claudia's entire face lights up. She feels her teeth, and stabs her fingers a few times with her newly-emerged fangs. She laughs, giddy with happiness, and hugs me so unexpectedly that I fall over.  
"I'm a vampire, aren't I?" She asks, still grinning.  
"What gave you that idea?" I reply, but grin too. "Yes, and a Daylighter to boot.".  
Claudia's face only brightens.  
"This is awesome. I'm a vampire..." She repeats, breathing out even though she doesn't need to.  
Raph walks out, and smiles.  
"Looks like she isn't too unhappy that she's a vampire." He chuckles.  
I wriggle out from underneath Claudia, and help her to her feet.  
"Isabelle wanted to make a speech... And we have to see how William's doing, so we should probably go in." I say, with Raph nodding.  
Claudia lets go of my hand, and skips inside. Raph and I just grin at each other, identical fangs glinting with the light of the moon.

Isabelle stands in front of us all, finally smiling.  
"Thanks to the efforts of William Lightwood-Bane, Sophia Carstairs is back with us, safe and sound - and Rune is no longer in horrendous pain." She begins.  
The door to the right opens, and Magnus walks in, carrying William in his arms.  
"I am happy to report that William survived his encounter with the Ravener demon, thanks to the efforts of his fathers, and his older brother, Jace Lightwood-Bane." Isabelle continues.  
Ah, so William's alive, just very weak. That explains why Magnus is carrying him. But Jace Jr's back at college... The Seelies probably portalled him here. I'm not sure.  
"I am also happy to report that our resident mundane, Claudia, survived as well, thanks to the efforts of Rodrigo Santiago-Lewis." Isabelle continues, and everyone smiles at Claudia. "While we're on the topic of Rodrigo Santiago-Lewis...".  
Heron and Raph stare at me, with Claudia looking at me a few moments later. I can feel around fifteen pairs of eyes trained on me, and it's only a little uncomfortable.  
"I would like to welcome Rodrigo Santiago-Lewis into the ranks of the Shadowhunters." Isabelle announces, and I almost faint.  
Me? A Shadowhunter? Has she met me? I'm the least qualified person to be a Shadowhunter - probably because I've believed that I was purely a vampire my entire life. Heron hugs me, tightly.  
"Congratulations, Royo." He says into my shoulder.  
"Your rune ceremony will be in a few weeks, and to stand up against the Clave, you will also get to choose your parabatai. Your runes will hurt when they're applied, as you are part vampire, but shouldn't hurt when they're on." Isabelle finishes.  
Everyone applauds me, and while I feel a little lightheaded and possibly sick from worry (I won't make a good Shadowhunter at all, and who do I choose as my parabatai?), I smile and join in the glitterball fight.  
People say you only live once, but for us vampires, we live twice - but we still believe in living in the moment. My life is brilliant right now. I know it won't be brilliant for long, but you've got to enjoy the moment while it lasts - and that's exactly what I intend to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so ends Season 2.  
> Have you enjoyed it?
> 
> Season 3 is coming soon, featuring sororities (they're hybrids of fraternities and sororities from what I know of them - I'm British), new characters, and the reveal of that meeting the Seelie Queen had with Team Jace.  
> Be ready.


	21. Runeword

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rodrigo gets to see Idris for the first time, and Alec's officiating the rune ceremonies. Will Raphael's fatherly concerns get the better of him, or will the ceremonies go according to plan?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: Rodrigo is now a Nephilim-vampire hybrid (well, he always has been). This is put under the umbrella term 'Nephilim-Downworlder hybrid', and refers to those who were born Nephilim (like Rodrigo) before being Turned by something, be it wolf or vampire. This umbrella term is later given the name 'Angelwalker' in Season 5.  
> By this logic, Luke Garroway is also an Angelwalker, as is Devan Garroway.

It's been a crazy few weeks for me, and after Claudia manages to adjust to being a vampire (to a level where she can still masquerade very easily as a mundane, without getting an overpowering urge to bite a mundane), the Seelies take us back to college. I know we're only back so soon because Jace Wayland/Herondale/Lightwood and co. need to sort everything out - but surely we're capable enough? We stormed the Clave with very little help from Magnus (in fact, William did most of the storming), but we're still apparently 'in-training'.  
We arrive back in our trusty penthouse (which the Third Years have respectfully kept as it was), and I immediately relax. Never in a million years did I think college would be so welcoming, but it's just so comfortingly... Mundane.  
"I can't deny that that wasn't fun." Claudia grins, her fangs slowly sliding out of her mouth.  
"Well, you and Fiona did seem to be getting along quite well." I reply, and walk off, checking our rooms. The Seelies were kind enough to also move our luggage from the Third Years' beach huts, back to our rooms. A stunned silence follows me, and when I walk back to Claudia, her paleish face has flushed slightly.  
"She's very easy to get along with." She manages to respond, keeping her tone devoid of any emotion.  
I know there's something I'm missing, but I decide to drop it. Pursuing it won't help. I notice a bow winking at me from the kitchen, and walk in to discover a small gift hamper, with a note attached. 'Thanks for letting us stay here. Think of this as an expression of our gratitude. - RH and JS'. Those must be the Third Years who'd stayed here. I can't help but smile, and take the hamper out to the common area, where Claudia is sat on a sofa, wringing her hands.  
"Look." I say, gently. "The Third Years left us this.".  
Claudia does indeed look up, and the renewed light of the sinking sun falls directly onto her face. It highlights her face well, I think. Claudia's crimson eyes fall gently to the hamper, and she gives me a weak smile.  
"We got lucky with our guests, I think." She says, and I laugh a little.  
"I did hear that Harlow got robbed of any eggs that he may have had left." I say, chuckling. "It seems the whole campus is in on the joke.".  
Claudia grins properly this time.  
"I intend to keep it that way." She says, grinning wildly.  
I laugh, unable to stay calm, and she does too. Meeting Team Rune fully, back at the Institute, has certainly done Claudia a world of good. And she wasn't fazed in the slightest by the ever-annoying Seelie Queen, down in the Seelie Court. Raph approves of her, so that has to count for something. There's something gnawing at my mind about how well she and Fiona seemed to get along, but Fiona was never really around her that much. I decide to leave it, and just watch the sun set, back in the comfort of the penthouse.

About a week later, I decide to go and visit Rune. I haven't been avoiding her - I've just been basking in the sun streaming through the window wall every morning. I take my seat at the breakfast bar, and Claudia places a plate of what appears to be bacon in front of me. I eye it suspiciously, and Claudia nods, as if she can tell what I'm thinking.  
"I don't think it looks right either, but that's the way I was told to do it..." She trails off.  
"Who taught you how to do it?" I ask, not wanting to know the answer.  
Claudia thinks for a split second.  
"Rune's mum." She answers.  
I freeze.  
"On second thought, I'm not actually all that hungry, and I need to be at Rune's by nine." I say, quickly, and Claudia grins.  
"There's a line from a song that fits you and Rune." She says, a mischievous glint in her eye.  
"What is it?" I ask, thinking of possible lyrics I know. I fail, as I don't really listen to mundane songs.  
"'Oh, how the mighty fall in love.'" Claudia answers. "It's from 'The Mighty Fall', by Fall Out Boy. It's true for you and Rune. Rune's really intimidating and can kick butt like she's writing her name, and you're incredibly loyal and brave.".  
I smile a little. Becoming a vampire hasn't changed Claudia one bit.  
"I guess you're right." I say, then head off for Rune's penthouse.

I arrive at Rune's about ten minutes later, and almost immediately, I can hear loud arguing. I press myself against the wall so I can hear better, and silently pray to the angel Raziel that I will be forgiven. I'm not exactly religious, but having heard how Shadowhunters were made, I feel like I have a duty to believe in the Angel.  
"Your father didn't seem too happy." A male voice mutters. Must be Jacob, still miffed that Alec kicked him out of the Institute.  
"Wait... My father?" A female voice asks. Rune's. It's incredibly familiar to me now, but I think that's only because I pay it more attention than I used to.  
"Yeah, the big, tall, black-haired guy with a bow and arrow." Jacob answers. Both Rune and I have to stifle snorts - Rune's more a disgusted snort, mine one of amusement.  
"You mean Alec? He's my mother's brother." Rune says, failing to keep the disgust out of her voice.  
There's a pause.  
"Anyway, he didn't seem too happy." Jacob says, obviously awkwardly.  
"Because you nearly killed Rodrigo." Rune points out.  
Jacob growls.  
"I heard what happened with you and the vampire." He says, painfully obviously angry.  
"Excuse me? 'The vampire'? He does have a name, you know." Rune answers, now losing her cool.  
I take the opportunity to prise myself off the wall, and knock on the door. It opens a few seconds later, and Rune smiles in relief upon seeing me.  
"Come in." She says. "Pay no attention to Jacob. He's just sour because he was immensely wrong about you.".  
I stay lingering in the doorway.  
"Actually, I'm just here to ask you two questions." I say, and Rune nods.  
"Ask away." She smiles. Even still, I can see her fiddling with her Sereph blade.  
I shoot her a look that says 'not in public', and she pointedly agrees.  
"1. Are you coming to my rune ceremony?" I ask.  
Rune's face lights up, while Jacob just looks confused.  
"I wouldn't miss it." She pauses, then says: "Who are you choosing as your parabatai?".  
It's my turn to pause. Who AM I choosing? I can't choose Rune (for two reasons - no romance between parabatai, and Rune already has a parabatai, who I just spent my Christmas trying to get back from the Clave), and I'm fairly sure the others either have parabatai, or don't know me well enough to want to be my parabatai. Then it hits me.  
"Heron." I say, and my face lights up. I know it does, because Rune's does too.  
"And your second question?" She asks, satisfied with my answer.  
"Who let your mother teach Claudia how to cook bacon?" I ask, trying (and failing) to hide the horror in my voice.  
Rune's face pales, and she walks back inside. She doesn't look like the type to pray, but I've heard that even hardcore atheistic Shadowhunters pray sometimes.  
"By the angel Raziel..." She begins. "Please never let my mother teach anyone else how to cook. I realise that this is a stupid request, but I know that one day, my mother will kill someone with her cooking. Thank you, and may your grace stay intact forevermore.".  
There's an odd beauty in the way she says it, and I smile.  
"How elegant." Jacob mutters from behind us.

About another week later, I stand in my allocated room in Idris, putting the finishing touches on my tuxedo (with Raph's help).  
"Are you sure about this, pequeño?" He asks, worry in his voice.  
"Of course." I reply, trying to keep worry out of mine.  
Raph finishes what he's doing, and looks me in the eyes.  
"They train their entire lives, to be people that they are not." He says, and I know he means the Shadowhunters.  
"I'll be fine." I answer, putting a hand on Raph's shoulder.  
"You are not the first to say that.. " He says, quietly.  
I smile at him.  
"Trust me." I say, voice calm as I can make it. "I'm a vampire. We don't let anything break us.".  
This makes Raph smile a little, and he places a hand gently on my cheek.  
"If you're sure..." He says, and leads me outside, to where the others are waiting.  
Simon, Claudia, Rune, Raph, and Heron are all sat in the front row (Raph's seat obviously unoccupied), with everyone else in neat lines according to their family. Isabelle has been put with Malec (minus Alec, who's stood at the front), as her daughter is in my 'close personal' line. I walk down the many rows, to where Alec is stood, with a Silent Brother. I pause in front of them, and the Silent Brother raises a hand, without a single word.  
"Rodrigo Santiago-Lewis." Alec says, and I turn briefly around to see Magnus' eyes watery with tears. He's proud of his husband, and rightly so, given the Clave hated Alec a few years ago (and still do, apparently).  
"Yes, sir." I reply, bowing my head first at Alec, then at the Silent Brother, who bows his head back, again without a single word.  
"You have been chosen to ascend to the Nephilim, and join us in the ranks of the Shadowhunters." Alec states. I nod, humbled and honoured. He continues: "Your heroism is something that many of us wish we could have, and all of us know that you will continue to use as wisely as you have done.". There's no venom in his voice. Only warm attention, and I know that he doesn't dislike me as much as he used to dislike both Simon and Raph. He actually beat Raph up once. I've never been told why, but I think it was something to do with Isabelle and Yin Fen.  
"Thank you, sir." I reply, again bowing my head at both Alec and the Silent Brother.  
"Do you accept this angelic powers rune, as a symbol of your status as a Shadowhunter?" Alec asks.  
I nod.  
"I do." I answer.  
"Brother Zachariah, if you could do the honours..." Alec says, stepping back slightly.  
The Silent Brother - who I now know to be Brother Zachariah - steps forward, making absolutely no noise. He takes my left arm, and presses his hand to it gently. I can barely feel his hand there, but I can feel the pain as the rune appears on my arm. Isabelle was right, it does hurt, but Brother Zachariah won't let me faint, or fall. The pain subsides in a matter of seconds, and I look at my arm, seeing the angelic powers rune now just below the inside of my elbow.  
"You are now a Shadowhunter." Alec says, and everyone applauds. He continues: "If I may ask Heron Lightwood to step forward, onto the dais.".  
I look round, and Heron's walking up towards us. Jace Wayland/Herondale/Lightwood is a few rows back from where Heron was (Raph sat down quite a while ago), but looks immensely proud that his middle child is finally getting his parabatai. I also notice that Heron's angelic powers rune is on his upper forearm. Heron reaches us quickly, and I turn back around to Alec and Brother Zachariah.  
"Please take each others' left hand." Alec instructs.  
Heron and I face each other, and do as we're told. Brother Zachariah walks around us, activating runes on the floor with his soundless footsteps as he does. He reaches Alec, who clears his throat.  
"May the Angel join these two young Shadowhunters as parabatai." He says, then the heavenly fire surrounding Heron and I extinguishes itself. "Please let go of each others' hands.".  
Heron and I do so, and Brother Zachariah hands Heron a stele, the parabatai rune already ready to go on its tip.  
"Rodrigo Santiago-Lewis, do you accept this parabatai rune, and agree to fight alongside Heron Lightwood, as brothers?" Alec asks.  
"I do." I answer, and Brother Zachariah nods at Heron.  
Heron darts forward, and gently presses the tip of the stele on my neck, in roughly the same area that Alec's deflect/block rune is. I chose that place to have the rune, as it'll hurt more when Heron's in trouble, and I'll feel even more compelled to help him, as he's my parabatai and all. Brother Zachariah nods, and gently takes the stele from Heron. He fiddles with it, then hands it to me. I try not to let my hands shake as I take it.  
"Heron Lightwood, do you accept this parabatai rune, and agree to fight alongside Rodrigo Santiago-Lewis, as brothers?" Alec asks.  
"I do." Heron answers, and Brother Zachariah nods at me.  
I walk forward, and gently press the tip of the stele on Heron's stomach, in roughly the same area that Jace's parabatai rune is. Heron chose that place for his rune, as the rest of his family have their runes there. Brother Zachariah nods, and gently takes the stele from me.  
"Please take each others' left hand again." Alec says.  
Heron and I do so, and the heavenly fire reignites. Brother Zachariah lifts his arms without a single word, and everyone stands up, and bows their heads. They relift their heads and sit back down again a few seconds later, when Brother Zachariah's arms lower. The heavenly fire finally extinguishes itself once more, and Alec nods, for the last time.  
"May the parabatai bond protect you both always." He says, and everyone stands back up again, clapping.  
"The new parabatai - Heron Lightwood and Rodrigo Santiago-Lewis!" Alec calls, and we all rejoin our families.  
Raph and Simon both hug me tightly, incredibly proud, and Rune just smiles, before kissing me briefly on the cheek.  
"What did I do to deserve that?" I ask, in mock shock.  
"Say one more word, and you'll get a slap instead. Right where your new angelic powers rune is." Rune replies, but she's smiling. "Congratulations, Shadowhunter.".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few things:  
> \- Heron may be a random choice as Rodrigo's parabatai, but bear with me and you'll see that it's not so bad.  
> \- Pay attention to Fiona and Claudia.


	22. Let's Kill Tonight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rodrigo, now Heron's parabatai, returns once again to college, hopefully this time for longer than two days. Lessons are learnt and teachers are ridiculed, but what'll happen when meeting Maia's daughter crosses with Rodrigo's first ever midnight patrol?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: This chapter's title comes from the Panic! at the Disco song "Let's Kill Tonight".

I stay in Idris for a few more days, enjoying being a Shadowhunter, and revelling in being a parabatai. It's one of many things that I never thought would happen to me - but here I am. After a few days of getting used to everything new, I head back to college, where Claudia has been dutifully waiting. Apparently she wasn't allowed to stay in Idris - something about only the parabatai getting used to being parabatai? I want to say it's a load of crap, seeing as Rune and Sophia were allowed to stay, but they're parabatai too, so... I leave it. I've left many things, as dealing with them is more stressful than not.  
"Idris is beautiful, but this... I don't think anything can top this." Claudia says, gazing out of the window wall.  
"How come?" I ask, walking over to her.  
Claudia pauses, and considers the question.  
"It's stunning here. The way the light bounces off the water in the bay, how beautiful the bay's shoreline is... And how I get to wake up to this everyday, with a dormmate who doesn't judge me." She answers.  
"Professor Daken will murder you for saying 'the light bounces off the water'." I say, and Claudia laughs.  
"I can hear him now - 'The light is reflected off the water by something to do with physics, water, light rays and the line of incidence.'." She laughs, and I snort. It's accurate, as Professor Daken is that kind of person - he's adamant that you must learn everything word for word, or you'll fail all your exams. Reina Harding, one of the Third Years that'd stayed in our penthouse (with her dormmate, Jasper Scarlotti) apparently went against everything Professor Daken had ever taught her year, and got full marks on her end of year test. Claudia and I have become good friends with Reina and Jasper since the entire dormswap, and it's fun to hear their experiences. Especially when it comes to stories about humiliating Professor Daken.  
"What time is it?" I ask, after a while.  
Claudia goes over to the coffee table, and turns on her phone.  
"1:15pm." She says, without looking up.  
"Damn it." I say. "I've got English in five minutes.".  
Claudia stifles a giggle.  
"Oh, Miss Louise will kill you..." She practically sings this, as I hare out of the door.

"Ah, Santiago-Lewis!" Miss Louise cries, as I all but fall into the room. "You're late.".  
I get to my feet, and meekly take my seat next to Harlow, who nods cheerfully at me.  
"I had a long morning." I reply, truthfully. I did just get back from a lecture and a half (from Maryse Lightwood) in Idris at 10:22am this morning. It's not like it was a scramble to get myself sorted. No, not at all.  
"Try and go to bed earlier, then." Miss Louise says, and turns back to the class. "We finished off Act 2 with Macbeth last week, would anyone care to start us off with Act 3, Scene 1?".  
She doesn't have to ask for Harlow's hand to go flying in the air. I jump, even though he's done this every day since starting the unit. Miss Louise practically ignores Harlow, despite the fact he's bouncing in his seat. She scans the room, until her gaze lands on a girl who looks disturbingly like Maia - complete with three long, thin scratches on her neck. She's a werewolf alright, and it's strange how no-one's noticed. Last time I checked, werewolves couldn't apply glamours.  
"Cherokee." Miss Louise says, gesturing at the girl. Ah, yes. Cherokee Roberts.  
"I..." Cherokee fidgets uncomfortably in her seat, and looks pleadingly at Harlow. "Can't our Shakespeare reincarnate do it?".  
Harlow looks oddly pleased, while Miss Louise is refraining herself from saying anything she'll regret.  
"Fine." She says, suddenly. "Harlow.".  
Harlow begins, and when he finishes, I can hear Miss Louise mutter something that sounds a lot like 'You lot are giving me grey hairs, I swear.'.

I head back to the penthouse about an hour later, with Rune following. Jacob's being an imbecile, so I offer her the chance to come to my and Claudia's penthouse, which she accepts with a smile.  
"Well, here we are." I say, after a few moments of mindless strolling. I know where it is by now, so even if I walk with no aim at all, I'll still end up in the trusty penthouse. I knock, and Claudia opens the door almost absentmindedly, smiling a little when she sees Rune. We walk in, taking our shoes off and placing them by the door, and I close said door with a small push. It clicks, and I walk into the common area.  
"So, what did you want to discuss?" Rune asks, taking a bite out of what Claudia has told me is a 'Jammie Dodger'.  
"Did Maia ever have children?" I ask, Claudia now listening too.  
Rune leans back on the sofa.  
"I think so. A boy and a girl. Why?" She answers, after a while.  
"I think I found one of them." I say, and Rune's eyes widen.  
"But Maia wanted her children to live mundane lives..." Rune breathes.  
I sit back, and wait for it to hit her.  
"Oh. This is a mundane college." She says, facepalming.  
And there it is.  
"Indeed." I grin. "Her name is Cherokee... Does that ring a bell?".  
Rune's face isn't readable. I know she'll probably tell Isabelle that we've found Cherokee, but her current emotions are unintelligible.  
"Cherokee Roberts... Certainly does." She replies.  
She stands up, her caramel skin bathed in fast-disappearing sunlight, the runes hard and dark on her body.  
"Might as well chat with this Cherokee. I'll see you later. Midnight patrol?" Rune asks.  
I smile.  
"What, can Alka not be bothered?" I reply, and Rune groans.  
"Don't get me started..." She begins.  
"I'll be there, just call me if anything happens." I say, and Rune nods, before heading out of the penthouse, closing the door gently behind her.

Night comes, and I make salted caramel and blood sundaes, which Claudia and I both savour - they're absolutely delicious, and part of me is beating the other part up, for not asking Raph for the recipe sooner. After this, Claudia heads off to bed, giving me a goodnight hug, and I settle down on the sofa. I gaze out of the window wall, to the bay, the sea now dappled in moonlight and the dark, starry sky. I pick out the constellations, the stars, of Orion, the Big Dipper, and the North Star. My phone pings, and I notice a message from Rune.  
"Demons in the entrance." is all it says.  
I grab my Sereph blade, put my stele in my coat, close the door firmly behind me, and head off to the entrance, ready to go on my first official Shadowhunter night patrol. In all my controlled excitement, though, I don't notice a pair of venom green eyes staring at me from behind another penthouse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meet Cherokee! She'll become very important in the future, so I can only hope that she grows on you overtime. I had a lot of fun designing her character, actually.


	23. City of Glitter Absolutely Everywhere (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Night patrols, werewolves and demons are all in a day's work for Rodrigo - but dealing with other peoples' relationship drama isn't. Can the Unholy Glitter Trinity be rescued by their true loves, or will the Seelies turn up the heat on William Lightwood-Bane?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: This chapter was based off my internal struggle with accepting that I am bisexual. I am happily married to another man, and we have three beautiful children.

We all charge on the demon, and it just stares at us in petrified amusement. It knows it won't live, but it looks like it's wondering how many of us it can take out or injure before it too succumbs. The answer is none, as Jace Jr's notched arrow makes itself at home in the demon's spine, with the demon falling to the floor a few seconds later. The other demons are all picked off in quick succession by the rest of us, and a dark brown blur takes one of the demons as its plaything. We all stare on, until the brown blur - a werewolf - looks back at us, fear and guilt present in its eyes. For a second, my blood chills - could it be Devan? - but a quick look at Heron assures me that it's not Devan.   
"Who are you?" Fiona asks, softly. "Can you write it on the ground?".  
The werewolf does so, pawing at the soft earth like its life depends on it, and eventually steps back, to reveal 'Cherokee Roberts' written in several claw marks.  
"Cherokee..." Rune breathes.  
Cherokee nods, and then tries writing something else. I peer over her broad shoulders, and read aloud:  
"I cant controll wen I chnge amd no boddy noes".  
Everyone looks at each other, and nods.  
"We'll help you, if you'll let us." Fiona says, and Cherokee nods again, a few tears slipping down her face in relief.  
"Can you show us where your penthouse is?" Alka asks, gaining another nod from Cherokee, as the large wolf walks off in the direction of her dorm.  
Rune, Fiona, Heron and myself all collapse upon the entrance. Jace Jr excuses himself, and runs off to his penthouse.  
"Successful mission. Well done on your first night patrol, Royo." Heron grins.  
I smile.  
"Who dragged Alka out of her dorm?" I ask.  
"Her dormmate kicked her out. Something about 'go do your job, demon-killer'." Fiona replies, laughing.  
We all just relax upon the gilded golden gates, and eventually make it back to our respective penthouses, just as the sun begins to rise.

I walk into the penthouse, breathing a (metaphorical) sigh of relief as I walk back into the building that has become my home. I take my boots off by the entrance, and wash my Sereph blade off in the kitchen. Surprisingly, I'm mostly clean of demonic blood and guts, except for a bit of ichor on my nose. Claudia walks in the kitchen a few hours later (for breakfast, presumably), and notices the ichor.  
"How'd it go?" She asks, getting a kitchen towel, wetting it, and dabbing my nose.  
"Pretty well. The demons were disposed of relatively quickly." I reply, truthfully. I decide to omit the part about Cherokee - after all, Claudia's only just arrived in the mad world of Shadowhunters and Downworlders, she doesn't need to know about a potentially rogue werewolf in college.  
"How did you find it?" She asks, flicking my now clean nose, playfully.  
I laugh a little.  
"It was rather exciting. I mean, I'm not really a violent person, but there's something about taking out demons that's just so..." I hesitate. Do I want to finish my sentence?  
"I'm glad you didn't get your pretty face messed up, in any case." Claudia replies, and I really do laugh at this.  
"If you're going to say you'd've killed me if I had, you've got a long line to be waiting in." I say, and we both snort.  
Claudia goes off to get dressed, and her phone pings. I dare a look at who's messaging her, and the contact pops up with:  
'Fiona Lightwood'.

I smile a little - perhaps Claudia and Fiona are finally attempting to amend whatever may be between them - and that smile goes when I read Fiona's message.  
'Magnus and William have gone missing, and Alec is freaking out. Get Rodrigo.'.  
Do I reply? Do I dare use Claudia's phone? I whip out my own, and type in a message.  
'No time to explain, but I saw your message. What's happening?'.  
Within seconds, Fiona responds - 'I'm coming over to yours, Rune's gathering everyone else at hers.'.  
True to her word, Fiona arrives fairly soon after. I usher her into the common area, and she tells me all she knows - that no-one's seen William since yesterday, about three hours before night patrol, and that Alec woke up to an empty bed, immediately sparking concern as Magnus doesn't go anywhere without leaving a message. There was no message.  
"Who could be taking Magnus and William?" I wonder aloud, as Claudia walks in. I realise that I'm still holding her phone, and hand it back, sheepishly.  
"Someone who has something against Alec." Fiona says. She says it so matter-of-factly, yet we both know it's more than just a petty feud.  
I walk off to get changed, and Claudia goes to get breakfast. But in those three minutes that we leave Fiona unattended, she's disappeared.  
"Fiona?!" Claudia calls, repeatedly, as if it'll help. Her cries echo through the penthouse, but of course she gets no reply.  
I pick up my phone, and dial Fiona's number. Surprisingly, she picks up, although she speaks in very hushed tones, as if getting heard would mean the end of her.  
"Where are you?" I ask, concern now blossoming in the penthouse.  
"I'm in a Seelie holding bay." Fiona replies, quietly.  
My heart sinks. The Seelies have Fiona. They've broken our alliance.  
"Did they say why they took you?" I ask, hoping to wring as much information out of Fiona as possible.  
Fiona pauses.  
"They said they were testing the Unholy Glitter Trinity. To see if anyone loves us... So only those who love us, in a romantic way, can come and get us." She replies, her voice shaking.  
I relay all of this to Claudia, and her already pale face only grows paler. Alec will probably already be down there, rescuing Magnus - but it's going to tear him apart to not be allowed to rescue his son. Last I checked, nobody had a crush on William. The poor warlock is screwed. But as soon as I ask myself 'who would rescue Fiona?', I know.   
"Are the Seelies still our allies?" Claudia asks.  
"Last I checked, they were..." I reply, slowly.  
Claudia's next words are full of fury and unspoken love.  
"Then why did they take Fiona?" She asks, and I tremble just listening to her voice.  
I'm at a loss of what to say. I know why they took her - hell, Fiona herself told me - but I don't know how to explain. All I can hope is that William has a rescuer - and that Claudia doesn't let any love she has for Fiona make her a monster. Love can do that, and I'm absolutely terrified. Not just for myself, but for William. For Fiona. And for all the poor devils who've let love consume them.  
Emotions are complicated, and love is that little devil sitting on your shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Unholy Glitter Trinity have been held hostage by the Seelies. The plot thickens.  
> I honestly have no idea what to say here.
> 
> Oh, I know!  
> How are you enjoying Down Like A Warlock so far?  
> Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated!


	24. City of Glitter Absolutely Everywhere (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the midst of the chaos of the kidnapped Unholy Glitter Trinity, Rodrigo's college drops the bombshell of the sororities on the hapless First Years, and Rodrigo takes the time to get acquainted with Cherokee Roberts. Which sorority will win this vampire's unwavering loyalty?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: I googled 'Greek alphabet' to get names for the sororities. I don't know if it's the actual alphabet or if the sorority names even make sense, but here they are.

The Seelies didn't give us a time limit on how long they'll be keeping the Unholy Glitter Trinity until they start doing stuff to them, so we can relax a little, knowing that William and Fiona will be alright. Although, the Seelies did say that only the true love of the kidnapped member of the Unholy Glitter Trinity would be able to go down to the Court, to get them back - and that they'd be using the Vitas Veritas (a type of vine that has a stranglehold on a person, and only releases them when the truth is revealed or acknowledged), so evidently someone will really have to dig deep and force themselves to be in love with William. Either that, or we storm the Court - but some of the injuries that Rune sustained from the skirmish down at the Court still haven't healed, so that might not be the best idea. At around 5am, we all get a message from Alec that he's rescued Magnus, with little to no difficulty. Claudia smiles at the text.  
"That's surprising." I say. Little to no difficulty? The Seelies must really like seeing them together - or Alec just really loves the good old glittery warlock.  
"Is it?" Claudia asks. "I've seen the way they look at each other.".  
I pause, and think back to Christmas. They were around each other extremely frequently - well, you would be too if you were married - and didn't seem to want to let each other go.   
"They looked at each other as if they were the only ones in the room - like they were each others' whole worlds." I say, slowly. "So, yes, there's an element of true love in there, but... This is the Seelies we're on about... It's surprising that they didn't resist at all.".  
Claudia laughs a little.  
"I was studying one of the Institute's many biology tomes, and the Vitas Veritas was listed in there - something along the lines of 'you can fool yourself, but not the Vitas Veritas'. The Seelies aren't in control of this test - the vines are. So the vines can tell if you're being honest, and if you are, the Seelies are powerless to stop you from getting your person back." She explains, then gets up and goes to look at the noticeboard.  
Ah. Right. Of course the Institute has a book on Seelie plants. Claudia's been part of the Shadow World for about two months now, and already knows the plants and anatomy of everything off by heart. It's oddly endearing.   
"Thank god it's Saturday." I mutter, after a while.  
"I'm guessing you and Miss Louise aren't really getting along still?" Claudia asks, not looking away from the noticeboard - which I noticed yesterday is a rather large electronic tablet (I think Claudia called it an 'iPad'), that updates whenever anyone posts something to the main bulletin board. A few Second Years got into trouble for claiming that there's vampires roaming the halls of the college. They're not wrong, but they have no proof. And Jacob doesn't count.  
"You could say that." I reply.   
"Hey, look. Sororities are showcasing next Tuesday." Claudia says, and I can hear the smile on her face emerge. Oh, god.  
"How much do you think the fratboys want to recruit Rune?" I ask, and Claudia laughs.  
"I imagine a fair amount. But they have another thing coming if they try touching her." She answers.  
I'm taken aback by this. They do? Claudia likes her too? What? Is this yet another love triangle?  
"Whu-whu-whu-what?" I stutter.  
"You're a Shadowhunter, aren't you? Mess with a Shadowhunter's girl and you won't hear the end of it." Claudia replies, giggling.  
Oh. I imagine Jace Wayland put her up to that. At least, I think he goes by Wayland now.  
"If you text Jace at all later, please pass on the message that he's not funny." I say, and walk off to get dressed.

Tuesday comes, and I absentmindedly check the noticeboard. It's become a thing for either me or Claudia (whoever wakes up first) to check the noticeboard, then tell the other about it over a bowl of soggy cereal. The first thing I see is that all lectures have been cancelled (yay), and then my heart sinks again when I see that it's Sorority Showcase day. We had an entire lecture about it yesterday - First Year is the only year where you're really left alone, left to just explore and get used to college, with no interruptions. Second Year, you have to join a sorority. You don't have to stay with the same one, but you do have to be in one. Third Year, you'll find that you've made firm friends in your sorority, and that the sorority HQ will be home to several study sessions throughout Third Year, so you can ace your exams (or fail them completely, depending on if your sorority is full of fratboys or not). Then, if you stay on for Fourth Year (which you don't have to do, but if you do, you have to stay on for Fifth Year as well), at the start of the year, you can form your own sorority with at least four friends of yours, and after Christmas, you can start recruiting people on Sorority Showcase day. In Fifth Year, you'll organise study sessions (you do that in Fourth Year too, but Fifth Years are known for it), and you'll get to take part in the Championship, which is three months long, from May to July. It's basically a battle of the sororities. Apparently it's incredibly fun. Before you leave, at the end of Fifth Year, you need to elect a new leader of your sorority - and apparently, most Fourth/Fifth Years don't make their own sororities, they just go with existing ones. Some stay in the same sorority their entire time in college.  
"Anything new?" Claudia asks, breaking through my thoughts.  
"Uh, yeah, um, uh, the, uh..." I stammer, and struggle to get my thoughts together. "The lectures today have been cancelled..." - Claudia grins at this - "... And it's Sorority Showcase day.".  
"Alright!" Claudia looks incredibly happy.  
I glance back at the noticeboard. Apparently the sorority buildings aren't on campus - but they're only about five minutes away, so that should be alright.  
"Which one do you want to go in?" I ask. I've already heard of the names of a few, thanks to the lecture yesterday, and Reina and Jasper (the Third Years who borrowed our penthouse for their exams) are in Omega fin Aqua. Why these people are determined to sound Greek, I'll never know.  
Claudia pauses, deep in thought.  
"I'm not sure. Apparently Upsilon Delta is full of fratboys, so I'll stay away from them... Maybe we could join Reina and Jasper? They're nice people, and their sorority doesn't seem too bad." She suggests this, not quite knowing how I'll respond, and I nod.  
"Why don't we get down there and find out?" I ask.  
Claudia nods, and we head off to the main campus, to see the showcases, making sure our penthouse is securely locked behind us.

The main campus is full of important-looking students standing behind display desks, flags flying of their sororities, and First Years milling around, checking out the different sororities. There's a few unsure Second Years, too, wanting to just double-check everything before they commit to one. Claudia hares off to the side as soon as she sees the Omega fin Aqua table, and I decide to wander, to mill around, like the other First Years. Maybe if I seem uninterested, they won't notice me. This thinking, however, comes to an end when I see Cherokee, peering interestedly at a Gamma Majora flyer. I walk over, and tap her gently on the shoulder. She looks up, fear filling her face, and then it's gone, replaced by sheer relief.  
"Oh, thank the lord." She says, clearly happy to see a friendly face. "I thought you were another one of those fratboys.".  
I laugh a little.  
"Hardly." I reply, and Cherokee laughs. I continue. "So, which one are you leaning toward?".  
"At the moment, none." She replies, and I twig that she's only pretending to look at the Gamma Majora flyer, in an attempt to get them to leave her alone.  
"Why not? Surely a lot of them would love to have you with them." I say, gently.  
Cherokee looks up, and allows a flicker of green to flit across her usually warm chocolate eyes. She's scared, scared of injuring someone if she turns into a wolf while in the sorority building.  
"There's a lot of fratboys." She says, and I take the hint to not mention that she's a werewolf. At least, not in public.  
"How many have you encountered so far?" I ask, and Cherokee laughs slightly.  
"More than I care to count. Rune's just slapped all the ones who've dared come near her." She replies, and I snort.  
"Sounds like Rune." I say, snorting.  
"I mean, who wants an angst-filled 18 year old with little to no sense of how to... Mundane... And is terrible at parties, to join their sorority?" Cherokee asks, sarcasm overrunning her voice.  
I pick up a Gamma Majora flyer, and peer at it, actually interested. I catch the quickly-spoken use of the word 'mundane', and smile. Maybe Cherokee hasn't been raised to be as mundane as we all first thought.  
"You interested?" She asks.  
I look up, and smile.  
"A little." I say. "Cherokee... I'm pretty sure everyone's angsty and not fun at parties. That's just part of who we are. Don't let that determine your future. And so what if you seem like a different person at times - we all do. And if you look to the past, you won't find us there. We're here.".  
Cherokee smiles, and I tuck the Gamma Majora flyer into my tuxedo pocket.  
"Do you think you'll join Gamma Majora?" She asks.  
"I don't know. I'd like to, but Claudia will probably make me join Omega fin Aqua." I reply, and Cherokee laughs.  
"Well, I hear they're both quite nice." She grins. I grin back, and head off back to the penthouse.

As expected, Claudia's already at the penthouse, with at least fifty flyers for different sororities. She's in the middle of reading the one for Upsilon Delta, despite her apparent dislike of them.  
"Hey." I say, walking in, and putting my boots by the door.  
"Hi." Claudia replies. There's a stiff edge to her voice, that I can't quite place.  
"Are you alright?" I ask, and pull the Gamma Majora flyer from my tuxedo. I notice that that's one of the sororities that Claudia didn't visit.  
"Just thinking about how we're supposed to get Fiona and William back. Does anyone here like William?" Claudia asks.  
I think about it.  
"No-one in college has shown any interest so far. Well, there was that drunk Second Year, but they don't count." I reply, chuckling a little at the memory.  
"Anyone in the team?" Claudia tries again.  
I perch myself on the arm of one of the sofas.  
"Everyone in the team is either related to him or taken." I reply. It's only a little difficult for us to find someone to fall in love with, given seven of us are Lightwoods.  
Claudia pauses, and looks up.  
"I'm not... I'm not taken." She says, slowly.  
I don't look up from the the Gamma Majora flyer.  
"Are you sure about that?" I ask.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the sorority exposition chapter. Take a shot every time I wrote the word 'sorority' or 'sororoties'.


	25. City of Glitter Absolutely Everywhere (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Parties, sororities and cancelled lectures - good news for Claudia, not so much for Rodrigo. How will a vampire so used to living in the shadows deal with being in the limelight?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: Many of the sororities were based on actual groups of people I knew in secondary school, college and/or university.  
> Also, the bits in square brackets are texts.

There's a stunned silence in the penthouse, before Claudia manages to croak out: "What on earth do you mean by that?". I smile a little.  
"Fiona." I say, simply.  
Claudia doesn't move.  
"What makes you think that would be a thing?" She asks, after a pause.  
I finally look up, and put the Gamma Majora flyer on the sofa.  
"It's like you said to me about Magnus and Alec - I've seen the way you look at each other." I reply, and Claudia freezes, before she turns away from me. I sigh. "You're bisexual. That's perfectly fine. I have two dads, and I think Heron's trying - and failing - to hit on that guy in Cherokee's maths class. I'm pansexual myself, so why would I care?".  
There's just silence. A long, sullen silence. It's so quiet I can hear a pin drop. I would say that I'd be able to hear Claudia breathing, but given she's now a vampire, she doesn't need to breathe. Eventually, Claudia speaks.  
"What if the others mind?" She asks.  
Oh, good lord.  
"1) Magnus and Alec are married, with three children. William, Jace, and Max all turned out fine. 2) Raphael and Simon are married, with one child. I turned out fine. 3) Pretty much all of us aren't straight, so that's fine. 4) I'm pretty sure Alec was once in love with Jace-whatever-the-hell-his-surname-is, once upon a time. Nobody cared about that. In fact, I think Jace kissed him once, just for the hell of it." I reply, and a small smile grows on Claudia's face, before it's replaced once more by fear.  
"What if Fiona minds?" She asks.  
"Fiona's bisexual. She's not going to mind. Like I said - I've seen the way you look at each other." I say, smiling, and Claudia seems satisfied with that answer.  
"Which sorority are you leaning toward?" I ask, immediately regretting asking.  
"Well, I was thinking the one that Rune and Cherokee like, but I'm more going toward Omega fin Aqua - and before you say anything, not just because Reina and Jasper are in it. There's several pros and cons of Omega fin Aqua..." Claudia begins, and I settle myself in for a long night. She could be there a while.

The next morning, I walk into the breakfast bar to find Claudia reading the noticeboard intently. She's removed it from its wall mount, and is stood, elbows on the counter, scrolling through the notices.  
"Anything interesting?" I ask, picking up the toast that's been left on my portion of the counter.  
Claudia hums, and hands me the iPad. I pick it up, and read through several notices about lectures being cancelled for the rest of the week, something about First Years not allowed to leave campus unattended, and finally get to what Claudia was obviously poring over - a notice from the college Grandmaster that sorority parties will be held all this week and next week, with invitations to the sorority being sent out shortly after the parties. I notice the dates of the more important parties - the Omega fin Aqua party is on the 10th March, and the Gamma Majora party is on the 11th March.  
"It says you need a plus-one to go to the parties..." I read aloud.  
"I wonder who I should take to the Omega fin Aqua party...?" Claudia asks, absentmindedly chewing on a bit of pear. It dawns on me what she's implying, right in the middle of a bite of toast.  
"No. No. No, no, no, no..." I repeat, pathetically, while spraying bits of chewed up toast everywhere.  
Claudia's beside herself laughing, and pats my shoulder gently.  
"Relax, Royo. I already talked to Rune, she said she'd come." She says, smiling.  
"Well, it's good to see the two lovely ladies of my life getting along." I grin, and I get a playful swat to my upper arm in response. "Will you be needing one of my tuxedoes?".  
"I dread to tell you, Royo, but yes, I will." Claudia replies, shaking her head in mock sadness.  
I hop off my stool, and fetch my suitcase of tuxedoes.  
"Come here, then. We need to find you the perfect tux." I say, and Claudia grins.

"Argh, stay still." I say, exasperated.  
It's the day of the Omega fin Aqua party - at long last, despite the fact we've only been waiting for three days - and I'm attempting to fix Claudia's tux. It's a deep, shiny red, with shiny pinkish lapels. I finally manage to attach the pure white iris to Claudia's left lapel, and step back, satisfied.  
"Oh wow." Claudia says, gazing in the mirror. "You do know your stuff.".  
We walk back out into the common area, and within three or four minutes, there's an abrupt rapping at the door. I open it to find Rune, dressed in a sparkly black, floor-length gown, rune tattoos glamoured. Claudia takes the hint, and glamours herself, hiding her fangs and crimson eyes. Rune smiles, and extends a hand to Claudia.  
"M'lady." She says, making Claudia giggle. Claudia takes Rune's outstretched hand, and hops into the taxi that's waiting to take the two to the Omega fin Aqua building. Rune hops in the other side of the taxi, and it pulls away. I can't resist pinging off a text to Claudia, before closing the door and relaxing on one of the sofas in the common area. Claudia replies in about a minute.  
[Rodrigo: You'd better not propose to my girlfriend, Odie.]  
[Claudia: It'd make for an interesting night, wouldn't it? I imagine the Psi Sigma Delta girls will soil themselves if they hear about it.]  
We have a small back-and-forth conversation, before Claudia goes quiet, indicating that they've arrived at the Omega fin Aqua building.  
[Rodrigo: Are you serious? I'm sure most of the campus would love to see the Psi Sigma Delta girls' reactions, but...]  
[Claudia: Relax. I'm not going to steal your girl. I might, however, steal her dress.]  
[Rodrigo: I'd like to see you try.]  
[Claudia: Alright then, I will. Next time we visit Rune's penthouse, I'll see if I can get it.]  
[Rodrigo: I'm both astonished and concerned.]  
[Claudia: You should be. I am Odie, the dress stealer. Fear me, mortals, for I will steal your dresses!]  
[Rodrigo: You've been watching The Avengers again, haven't you?]  
[Claudia: ... Yes.]  
Claudia goes quiet for around four hours, and I just while away the time watching 'Doctor Who', a programme that mundanes seem to adore. An episode featuring vampires pops up, and I can't stop myself laughing at how badly they portrayed the vampires. Eventually, my phone pings again.  
[Claudia: We're on our way back now.]  
There's a relatively long conversation, until I hear the doorbell.  
[Rodrigo: Are you coming to the backstreets?]  
[Claudia: No, we just passed them, why...? Did you kill a mundane and need the body hiding?]  
[Rodrigo: What? No. Although, I'm flattered that you'd help me hide a body. I meant, you know, because Backstreet's Back... Alright...]  
[Claudia: Who let you listen to that song?]  
[Rodrigo: Am I original?]  
[Claudia: No...]  
[Rodrigo: Am I the only one?]  
[Claudia: Please stop...]  
[Rodrigo: Am I sexual?]  
[Claudia: Are you done?]  
[Rodrigo: Everybodyyyyyyyy, rock your bodyyyyyyyy...]  
[Claudia: Please be done soon.]  
[Rodrigo: BACKSTREET'S BACK, ALRIGHT!]  
I hear the doorbell, and hare over to the door, to open it. Claudia stands there, looking slightly bemused, but like she's had a good time, and she waves goodbye to Rune, who waves back.  
"Good luck in the Court!" Rune yells, before the taxi pulls away.  
Claudia smiles, and turns back to me.  
"Remind me never to leave you alone with my music again." She says, and flops onto the sofa.  
"Is that your entertainment tomorrow - attempting to get Fiona back from the Court?" I ask, grinning a little.  
Claudia nods.  
"It's worth a shot, right?" She asks, eyes suddenly wide.  
I nod, solemnly.  
"How do you do that with the eyes? It's like they inflate." I say, quietly, but Claudia hears.  
"Also remind me never to leave you alone with Netflix." She replies, sounding faintly irritated, but she's grinning.  
"Yes, boss." I say, deadly serious, and we both burst out laughing.

The day after, it's the night of the Gamma Majora party, and I arrive at the Gamma Majora building slightly early, with Heron as my plus-one. He's my parabatai, so it makes sense to bring him. A tall, slender man pops his head out of the door, and Heron gasps a little.  
"Oh god, he's pretty." He whispers, making sure the man can't hear him.  
The man smiles (it's quite a dazzling smile, I'll give Heron that) at us both warmly, and extends a hand.  
"Kaleb Baxter. I'm the President of Gamma Majora. Please, come on in." He says, and opens the door to let us in.  
Heron and I walk in, and are taken aback by how beautiful the interior of the Gamma Majora building is. It's like a museum, polished and shiny, with a balcony nestled inbetween the grand staircase - which I'm guessing lead to the dorms. There's potted plants on both sides of every door (both left and right, and outside and inside), and large, green banners emblazoned with 'GM' adorn the walls. We end up in the gigantic common area (it's almost exactly like the one at the penthouse, just about fifteen times bigger), and sit down, on leather sofas that I've grown accustomed to.   
"You must be new possible members?" Kaleb asks us.  
I nod, and smile.  
"I am." I say. "But he's just my plus-one." I add, pointing a thumb at Heron.  
Kaleb smiles. He's a very kindhearted person, and I know that I'll do well in this sorority.  
"Plus-one or not, it's lovely to have you here." He says, and then jerks his head to look at a girl who's nibbling at a few crisps. "ALVIRA! THOSE ARE FOR THE GUESTS!" He hollers, and the girl I presume to be named Alvira backs away meekly. "I'd better go and greet everyone else, but I'll be back soon." Kaleb gets up, picking up a glass of champagne on the way, and Heron turns to me.  
"Plus-one MY ASS, Rodrigo." He says, and I grin.  
Just then, my phone pings, and Heron peers over to see who it is. We both gasp, both in shock and surprise, when we see what it says.  
[Claudia: I've got her.]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so ends 3A. Let's hope the wait between 3A and 3B isn't as long as it was for Shadowhunters TV. If it is, I am very sorry.


	26. City of Glitter Absolutely Everywhere (Part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fiona's rescued, and Rodrigo makes a reasonable impression on Kaleb Baxter. But further parties loom, and William still hasn't been rescued. What will win in Rodrigo's list of priorities - helping with sorority parties, or helping with William?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: In the original drafts, Claudia was straight and Fiona ended up with a random female Shadowhunter (she was never given a name, as the story was altered to have Claudia realise quite abruptly that she was bisexual and then fall in love with Fiona).

Relief visibly takes over Heron's face, and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding in. It worked - Claudia overcame her fear, and rescued Fiona. Heron takes a glass of what appears to be sparkling grape juice from a passing student, and takes a sip, breathing out heavily in sheer relief.  
"Thank the Angel." Is all Heron manages to say.  
"Your sister's safe, Heron." I smile, and Heron manages a weak grin back.  
Kaleb walks back over, and does a double-take upon seeing how pale Heron's gone. The breathing out heavily (in relief) probably just makes him look more ill.  
"Are you alright?" Kaleb asks, hovering about a millimetre above the sofa.  
"He's fine, he just..." I pause. "He was just concerned that his boyfriend wouldn't know where he was.".  
Heron makes a strangled sound in the back of his throat, which Kaleb does his best to ignore.  
"Alright." He says, and then looks down at the Gamma Majora pamphlet in his hands. Finally, he sits down, and flips open the pamphlet, riffling through the pages. "Is it just you who wants to join?".  
I pause. Does he mean me? He didn't look up.  
"Uh, yes. Sorry. Yes, it's just me." I answer, stuttering slightly.  
Kaleb looks up, and Heron almost faints upon seeing that oh-so-dazzling smile once again.  
"Here at Gamma Majora, we pride ourselves on helping our members succeed, making them feel comfortable and safe, and catering to their every need." He begins.  
Heron snorts. He pulls his phone out, and pings off a text. Almost immediately, my phone makes a buzzing noise.  
[Heron: Wait till he finds out what your needs are.]  
I roll my eyes. The joys of having a parabatai, I suppose.  
"You can do pretty much anything here, in between your study hours, as long as it's not do drugs, drink too much, force students to haze, or make some kind of blood pact." Kaleb continues.  
Heron snorts again.  
[Heron: Well, that's us kicked out of here.]  
"For the last time, Heron, that was ONE glass of champagne! I was told it was nonalcoholic, so that didn't help." I cry, and Kaleb can't stop himself laughing. Heron examines his sparkling grape juice, and concludes that it is just sparkling grape juice.  
[Heron: I meant the fact we're parabatai. That's sort of like a blood pact.]  
I pick up a glass of sparkling grape juice from a passing student, and study it.  
"It's just grape juice with soda water." Kaleb says. "We don't have alcohol in here.".  
I take a sip, and it is rather nice.  
"What, er, where do you get this?" I ask.  
"From the Sainsbury's down the road." Kaleb answers, and hands me the pamphlet. It's bulkier than the flyer I've been poring over for about a week, and also very detailed.  
[Rodrigo: What's a Sainsbury's?]  
[Heron: I have no idea.]  
"Oh, cool." I say, trying to sound nonchalant. "I'll... Have to stop by sometime.".  
Heron doesn't meet my eyes. He's trying not to laugh, I can see it on his face.  
"You certainly seem like the kind who'd fit in well here in Gamma Majora." Kaleb says, looking me up and down. "Well, it's been lovely meeting you, Rodrigo. I hope our paths cross again.".  
I smile, and take his proffered hand.  
"As do I." I say, and Kaleb smiles too.

We reach my penthouse at around 11:25pm at night, and Heron smiles.  
"That was fun, I won't deny that." He says.  
"It certainly was." I reply, and I hug my parabatai, who, surprisingly, returns it.  
"Have a good night." Heron says, before hopping back into the taxi.  
"You too." I reply, and the taxi pulls off.  
I knock on the door, and a very tired-looking Claudia opens it, looking relieved when she sees me. She lets me in, and I close and lock the door behind me. I place my shoes by the door, and walk into the common area, where Claudia's already flopped on a sofa.  
"How'd it go with getting Fiona?" I ask, reading through the Gamma Majora pamphlet.  
"It was alright." Claudia answers. "It worked. I got her back. Not much else to say.".  
I do a once-over of Claudia, and I smile a little.  
"There wasn't any kind of celebratory invasion of personal space?" I ask, and Claudia's pale face goes a bright red.  
"Why would you --" She splutters. "OK, fine, I kissed her.".  
And there it is. Finally.  
"Congratulations. So, do you think that you're going to join Omega fin Aqua?" I ask, just leisurely reading the Gamma Majora pamphlet. That's normally what you do when you're bored. Particularly at 11:37 at night.  
"I think so, yes. Riley's a nice woman, I'm sure we'll get along." Claudia muses something, and then turns to me. "How was the Gamma Majora party?".  
"It was good. Kaleb's very nice, very welcoming. He had some lovely grape juice." I reply, and almost salivate on remembering how nice the sparkling grape juice was. "One question - what's a Sainsbury's?".  
Claudia's eyes widen, and she bursts out laughing.   
"Really?" She asks, unwilling to believe what she's heard.  
I nod, solemnly. Claudia forces herself to calm down.  
"A Sainsbury's is a supermarket, which is a shop with lots of food and toys, clothes and technology, washing materials and medicine." She explains.  
Ah.  
"I see." I say. "I knew that.".  
"Of course you did." Claudia smiles, and gets to her feet. "Goodnight, Royo.".  
She walks off, into her room, leaving me in the common area, bathed in moonlight.  
"Goodnight, Odie." I say, softly.

The next few days aren't very eventful, until I get a message from Cherokee, asking if I'll be her plus-one to the Oozma Helios party.  
[Cherokee: Hi, Rodrigo. I know we don't really know each other that well, but you seemed the best person to ask for this.]  
[Rodrigo: Sure, ask away.]  
[Cherokee: Could you be my plus-one to the Oozma Helios party?]  
I wonder how to reply. Of course I'll be her plus-one, but how do I reply without sounding creepily eager, or uninterested? The art of textual communication is something I have yet to perfect.  
[Rodrigo: Sure. What time will I need to be at your penthouse?]  
[Cherokee: 7:30. On Friday.]  
[Rodrigo: OK. Oh, one more thing. What's your penthouse number?]  
[Cherokee: 29.]  
[Rodrigo: OK. Thank you. See you then!]  
[Cherokee: And you! :)]  
Claudia peers over my shoulder while I'm typing.  
"Royo, cheating?" She exaggerates a gasp, and I roll my eyes.  
"Steady on. Gasp any harder and you'll knock yourself out." I reply.  
Claudia giggles.  
"Oops." She says, and then goes back to whatever she was doing.  
"Wait, Claudia!" I cry.  
She pops her head out of the kitchen. I snort at the rather comical sight.  
"What should I wear on Friday? I mean, I'm not her date, but I don't want to look shabby, either..." I trail off.  
"What you usually wear." Claudia smiles, smoothening my lapels. "Works for every occasion.".  
I nod.  
"Alright then." I reply.

I arrive at Cherokee's penthouse at the agreed time, wearing a tuxedo that Claudia helped me pick out. It's a deep blue, with white upper lapels, and black lower lapels. Cherokee opens the door, and I'm taken aback. She's in a deep purple, floor-length gown, that poofs up around the bottom if she twirls. She demonstrates it, and I smile.  
"It's lovely. I bet they'll throw you to the wolves, because you look better than the Psi Sigma Delta girls." I say, and Cherokee laughs.  
"Throw me to the wolves, and I'll come back leading them." She replies, and I take her arm, helping her into the taxi.  
She's also wearing purple droplet earrings, matched beautifully with a dark purple jewel on a red satin necklace, and a small tiara. She reminds me of Rune, in how effortlessly beauty comes to her - as well as how deadly she is. Beautiful, but isn't afraid to make you fear her. I remember something that Cherokee's ex-boyfriend (an absolute douche) told me, which applies perfectly to both Rune and Cherokee -  
"She wears strength and darkness equally well - the girl was always half goddess, half hell.".  
I smile to myself, knowing that whoever wins Cherokee's heart is very lucky indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so begins Season 3B. The hiatus was not a hellatus, are you proud of me? :P
> 
> Enjoy the mad ramblings of the world of Down Like A Warlock for five more chapters, before we pause for Season 4.


	27. City of Glitter Absolutely Everywhere (Part 5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cherokee looks beautiful, as does the borrowed Orion Hermes building, but the Seelie Queen certainly doesn't. What will happen when a glamoured warlock and a repressed werewolf meet the no-good Seelie Queen at a sorority recruitment party?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: Cherokee was one of the only characters to not have a name in the original draft, aside from 'Roberts girl' as a placeholder.

The taxi pulls up outside the Oozma Helios building, and I can feel Cherokee's hand shaking. It's a big night, certainly, and stress often leads to premature transformations.  
"You'll be fine. I'm here." I say, and Cherokee smiles.  
"Thank you." She whispers, and I help her out of the taxi.  
She steps out, her deep purple, floor-length gown still as beautiful on her as ever. It shines with a radiant energy of happiness and beauty, except its wearer emits a nervous energy.  
"Shall we go in?" I ask.  
Cherokee turns to me, and nods.  
"Better to get away from the moon." She replies, and, taking my hand, walks into the building.

The Oozma Helios building's décor is completely different to that of the Gamma Majora building. Where Gamma Majora has a green theme, Oozma Helios has a red and gold theme. Where Gamma Majora has potted plants, Oozma Helios has ornate glass sculptures of wolves in various postures. Where Gamma Majora has large green banners with 'GM' written in black, Oozma Helios has large red banners with 'OH' written in gold. The snug little seating area nestled in between the grand staircases, as seen in the Gamma Majora building, is also different - Oozma Helios has a small bedroom there, probably for the President. The two sororities have very different colour schemes and tastes, yet both work so beautifully well. But from what I've heard of the Oozma Helios sorority, their building doesn't seem to represent their members. I have a suspicion that the building doesn't belong to them, and they're just borrowing it.  
"Do you think they're just borrowing the building?" I ask Cherokee.  
"It feels like it... But that wouldn't explain why they have 'OH' banners everywhere." Cherokee answers.  
We both puzzle this over, until the President approaches us. He's quite a short guy, with fluffy blonde hair and warm brown eyes, much like Cherokee's.  
"Hi." Cherokee says, politely, offering him her hand. "My name is Cherokee Roberts.".  
The President seems to dismiss this.  
"Yes..." He replies, slowly, almost drawling. "I know who you are.".  
Cherokee's hand drops a little, and she withdraws it.  
"Rodrigo Santiago-Lewis." I smile, taking the President's hand and shaking it.  
Something flashes within the President's eyes, and, as if realising he actually has to greet us, he takes a deep breath.  
"Morley Henderson." He says, and shakes Cherokee's hand. "This isn't the Oozma Helios building - it's the Orion Hermes building - but we're borrowing it for now, seeing as our building is still under renovation.".  
That explains the poshness and fanciness, at least. Orion Hermes is the sorority for the posh - the sorority for the ones who got into this rather prestigious college by birth or heritage. The members are kind and hospitable, but you can often tell that they look down at you, rather than look at you in the eyes.  
"It's a nice building, isn't it?" Cherokee asks, gently running a finger along the lines of one of the wolf statues' backs. It's in a standing posture, on a large rock, standing tall and proud. It reminds me of Luke.  
"Mmm." Morley answers, noncommittally. "It isn't much better than the Psi Sigma Delta building.".  
With that, he leaves us to get acquainted with some of the Oozma Helios members, but I do hear him ask a few of his friends what the claw marks on Cherokee's neck are all about.

After socialising with a few of the Oozma Helios members, including (but not limited to): A closeted gay sociopath, a non-binary English student with daddy issues, and a glamoured young warlock who doesn't know how to be open without being judged, Cherokee nips to the toilet. I catch the warlock's name (it's Maria Rey, the adoptive daughter of Lorenzo Rey - a warlock who Magnus really doesn't like), and I make a mental note to ask Magnus if he can help her. I notice the time, and suddenly I feel extremely worried. Cherokee's been in the toilet for half an hour now... What is she doing? I rush off to the bathroom (although unbeknownst to me, Maria follows me), and find a large brown wolf with venom green eyes staring at me from the hallway. In front of me is the Seelie Queen, smiling like always.  
"Not you again..." I groan. The Seelie Queen waves a little. "Was this you?" I ask, gesturing at Cherokee, now in wolf form.  
"Indeed." The Seelie Queen answers. "It is her penance for failing to rescue William Lightwood-Bane.".  
I stare at Cherokee, who looks like she's about to cry.  
"She failed the Vitas Veritas, and so you forced her into wolf form, in a sorority building... Of a sorority that she wants to join?" I spell it out for myself, and something begins to burn inside me.  
"There is no need to hide, not when the sorority's President already knows." The Seelie Queen answers. "He doesn't know about you, however... Nor your shadow.".  
I look behind me, and see Maria hiding behind one of the large Orion Hermes banners. Maria's a Fourth Year, and has somehow managed to stay in college for four years, without anyone seeing her in her true form, nor anyone twigging her last name. I applaud her.  
"Your pet werewolf will stay like this, until she learns to control it - or you can cut ties with her, and she will be chosen to ascend to a Nephilim, a Shadowhunter." The Seelie Queen says. "It's your choice, Rodrigo.".  
I don't need to look at Cherokee to know what my decision is.  
"I'll teach her to control it." I say, and the Seelie Queen nods.  
"Good luck, werewolf." She says, and then steps through a portal, and leaves.

I manage to hustle Cherokee out of the Orion Hermes building, and Maria follows, telling people that someone's dog somehow managed to get in the building, and I'm just taking it out. Once out of the building, Maria casts off the glamour, and breathes a sigh of relief. She's a warlock alright - her pale skin turns to a blood red, and two small black horns protrude from her forehead. She reminds me of William - only William's skin is a light tan, similar to Magnus'. Cherokee just stares at the floor, and Maria gently strokes her head.   
"So... How old are you?" I manage to ask Maria.  
"19." She answers, without looking up.  
She's the same age as me, and 1 year older than Cherokee.  
"How have you made it to year 4 without anyone knowing about your... Er... Warlock-ness?" I ask, putting it as politely as I can.  
"Glamours can be as powerful as you can muster - mine is powered by the desire to stay liked, the desire to not be ridiculed." Maria answers.  
I ping off a text to Magnus, and, surprisingly, get a response in about a minute.  
[Rodrigo: Hi, it's Royo. If you're currently doing Alec, then please just don't respond. If you're not, then I need your help.]  
[Magnus: This is Alec. Magnus is in the shower. What do you need help with?]  
[Rodrigo: Oh, hi, Alec. I've found Lorenzo Rey's daughter, she's stayed glamoured for four years here... She needs help.]  
[Magnus: Lorenzo Rey's daughter? Hold on, I'll get Magnus.]  
Alec goes silent for a few moments, and eventually I get a response, this time actually from Magnus.  
[Magnus: Go to William's penthouse - number 12 - and I'll portal there to take you to the Institute.]  
"Penthouse number 12, all." I say, and Cherokee leads us all to number 12, with Maria following.

Sure enough, Magnus is waiting in number 12, and we're in the Institute in a matter of minutes. Alec's in the main hall, waiting for both his husband and us, and smiles a little upon seeing us. Cherokee (still in wolf form) and I wait behind a little, and let Maria greet Alec of her own accord.  
"Ah, miss Rey." He says, shaking Maria's blood red hand.  
Maria manages a weak smile.  
"What brings you here for help?" Magnus asks.  
"I... Lorenzo told me that my parentage means I'm in quite a lot of trouble, and that if my father comes back to get me, I could lose everything." Maria answers.  
Cherokee looks over at me, and we both stay quiet, hoping that nothing bad will come of this meeting.  
"Who's your father?" Alec asks, gently.  
Maria looks at the floor.  
"Asmodeus." She says, quietly.  
Magnus freezes. Alec turns to him.  
"Didn't you say your father is Asmodeus?" He asks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meet Maria! She's pretty important in future chapters too, like Cherokee, so if you don't like her now, just bear with her. She does get better, I promise.


	28. Edom and the Escapee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are about to get a little more glittery for Team Rune, and the plan to rescue William is out in hold as the Seelie Queen's discussion is revealed. With a threat emerging from the heart of Edom, it seems to be the most sensible course of action to try and prevent it... But one of the Institute's prisoners has other ideas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: Morley Henderson was created by the same friend who created Jacob Herrington and Claudia Zimmerman.

Magnus stays frozen, unmoving but blinking, right in front of Maria.  
"You definitely said your father is Asmodeus." Alec muses, aloud. "That would make Maria your --".  
"My half-sister." Magnus snaps back to reality. "She's my much younger half-sister. And here I was thinking I'd finally gotten rid of Asmodeus...".  
There's a reason Maria looks ashamed, and I know it's because of what Magnus and Alec have just figured out. Asmodeus never died down in Edom, fifteen years ago. He survived somehow, and is undoubtedly plotting revenge - alongside Lilith, and my birth father, Sebastian. The possibility of my own father being in on this really doesn't surprise me. If he tried to kill me upon our first meeting in eighteen and a half (or so) years, then of course he'd join a group of demons who just can't take no for an answer.  
"But what would Lorenzo warn her against Asmodeus for?" I ask, my voice raspy.  
Cherokee pads gently forward, and makes a series of grunts, growls and screeches, clearly searching for a voice that isn't there. Magnus peers down at her for a few moments, then looks back up at Maria, myself and Alec.  
"Remember when the Seelie Queen sent you to college, and said she needed to talk to us, without being able to let you know?" Magnus asks.  
I nod, dreading the answer.  
"There's been movement in Edom. Not just the odd mouse or rat, or even some form of undead eagle. There's been movements of something that is so large and undeniably powerful, that it has to be some sort of greater demon." Alec explains.  
"And the only thing that could be is Asmodeus." Magnus adds. "But the Seelie Queen explained that she'd sent a few lackeys to Edom, to see just what was going on... Apparently only one made it back, and said that not only was Asmodeus once again active, but so was Lilith.".  
"And wherever you get Lilith, you also get Jonathan." Alec finishes.  
Maria's blood red face pales. I can feel all the colour leaving my face, too. There's a skittering sound by our feet, and we all look down, to see that Cherokee has managed to claw out a message in some glitter dunes.  
"So basically we've been kept in college to keep the knowledge of an event happening that we could quite easily prevent?" Magnus reads. He looks a little affronted.  
"I'm not sure we could prevent an uprising in Edom..." I say, looking at my feet. I've never noticed quite how nice they are.  
"It's more than an uprising. Currently, they don't have any forces at all. But when they get reinforcements, it'll be a full-scale war." Magnus answers, gloomily.  
Ahhh, yes. This is a lovely patch of glitter. It's a hybrid of the dancing flames glitter, and the odd golden glitter that we found Alec covered in that one time, after he and Magnus were - ABORT ABORT do NOT think about that!  
"Maria, you'll have to stay here. Asmodeus can't get you here." Alec says, gently, and Maria (shockingly) doesn't resist. "Cherokee, Rodrigo, you gather Team Rune in William's penthouse. We'll assemble our lot here, send someone to get your lot, then discuss how we can get William back from the Seelies, and talk tactics to try and prevent the rebellion from hell.".  
Cherokee nods, and has to shove her hard, wolf shoulders against my stomach to get me to move. Next time I look at a patch of glitter, I doubt I'll look at it the same way again.

William's dormmate, Violetta, looks more than a little shocked to see two vampires, eight Nephilim and a werewolf barrel into the penthouse, but they step aside to let us in anyway. Thankfully, Magnus was able to temporarily change Cherokee back into mundane form, so she could explain this sudden meeting if need be. After a bit of sweet-talking from Fiona, Violetta leaves the penthouse.  
"So." Rune begins, arms folded, legs poised in a way that says she means business. There's a slight hint of disdain, possibly also betrayal, in her voice. "You said Magnus and Alec had finally told you what the Seelie Queen said last year. Talk.".  
"You might want to sit down for this." I say, and everyone bar Rune does so.  
Heron walks out of the kitchen with a drink in hand, and pauses, mid-stride, when he sees everyone staring at him.  
"It's sparkling grape juice... No need to stare." He says, defensively, and we all look away.  
"The Seelie Queen said something along the lines of: there's movement in Edom, the movement belongs to a greater demon, the Seelie Queen was an idiot and sent her lackeys to the deathtrap known as Edom, only one came back and was like 'hey, Asmodeus is active, but surprise, so is Lilith', apparently Lilith, Asmodeus and Sebastian/Jonathan are all sore losers and can't take no for an answer, and so are planning a rebellion/uprising/war/total massacre down in Edom, that for some reason the Seelie Queen didn't want us to know about." Cherokee explains.  
I open my mouth, and close it again. I have no need to explain, not when Cherokee's clarified in short form, and much clearer than I ever could.  
"So basically, shit's gonna hit the fan?" Heron asks.  
I pause, and Cherokee scratches at the claw marks on her neck.  
"Basically." I say, unable to think of a better answer.

Night patrol goes reasonably quickly (and very easily, as there's no demons tonight), and we make it to the Institute within ten minutes of Magnus' text, saying he'd managed to gather everyone in the main hall. As we walk into the Institute's front doors, and through the hallways, I can hear Team Jace loudly yelling over whether we should be allowed to help them fight in Edom, if the occasion may ever arise when they must do that. I hold out a hand to everyone, and they all simultaneously stop. Everyone strains their ears, and eventually we can just about make out what Team Jace is yelling.  
"They survived the skirmish at the Seelie Court, what makes you think they can't at least take a shot at Edom?" Isabelle yells.  
"Because they'll likely die in Edom!" Magnus yells back.  
"What is there in Edom to be afraid of, other than Lilith, Asmodeus, and Jonathan?" Clary yells.  
"Everything!" Magnus yells back.  
Rune sighs.  
"Their little yelling session isn't getting anywhere. As much as I don't like doing so, I think we should probably try interrupting them now." Fiona says, from the back.  
"I agree." Rune nods, and we all walk into the main hall.  
It's chaos. Sereph blades lie neatly on tabletops, but glitter covers the room, undoubtedly from where Magnus has freaked out and accidentally sprayed it everywhere. Jace's lot are yelling at each other from under large mountains of glitter. Jace himself appears to be stuck under a Ben Nevis of glitter, whereas Clary's stuck under a Mount Everest of glitter.  
"So... This is what you call discussion?" Alka asks, slowly.  
Jace glares at his eldest child. He was probably attempting to look fierce and commanding, but given he's stuck in a mountain of glitter (with some in his hair), he just looks ridiculous. He pulls himself out of the glitter somehow, and gestures toward the main table.  
"We really need to talk this over." He says, and for the first time, I can hear fear in his voice.

The glitter eventually gets cleared up, thanks to a yelling from Maryse Lightwood, and we all get back to our discussion.  
"Has anyone tried to retrieve William?" Clary asks.  
Cherokee, back in wolf form, stares at the floor. She makes a sad-sounding noise, and Clary looks up again at the rest of us.  
"Anyone else?" She asks, and Magnus' face falls when no-one answers.  
Suddenly, there's a scream from somewhere down the hallway, and a large brown wolf hares into the Seelie Court portal. I check beside my feet, and Cherokee's still there, green eyes shining with tears she cannot shed.  
"What was that...?" Claudia asks, slowly.  
Rune stands up, walks over to the doors, and peers out into the hallway. We all take her gasp as an invitation to go and look, and find a shellshocked Alka staring at an empty cell - and I can feel my non beating heart skip a beat when I read the name on the cell. Inquisitor Herondale marches down, and Alka starts shaking violently.  
"Was this your doing?" Inquisitor Herondale asks, coldly.  
"No, this wasn't my doing!" Alka cries. "It wasn't me, I swear on the Angel!".  
Inquisitor Herondale looks to two Clave members standing with her.  
"Take her away." She mutters, and the two Clave members drag Alka away.  
"NO!" Alka yells, now hysterical. "You can't do this! No! No! Please, you can't! I'm innocent!".  
Alka's distressed screams slowly blend into the noise of the Institute's lights humming a morbid little tune, and the occasional tapping of a Shadowhunters' footsteps. Clary's face is painted with horror and sadness, while Jace's displays the usual noncommittal mask.  
"Why are they taking her away?" Maria asks, breaking the silence.  
Another silence falls, until eventually Luke answers.  
"My son broke out of his cell." He says, his voice solemn.  
"Devan's on the loose..." I sigh, and I feel like crying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Devan's back, back again. Devan's back, tell a friend.
> 
> I listened to BTS' Not Today while uploading this, and hoo boy I've never appreciated how good a song Not Today is. Excuse me while I repetitively appreciate it.


	29. Straight Outta Idris

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Devan's escaped the Institute, Alka's been sent to a Clave cell, and William's still stuck in the Seelie Court. The second Seelie Court skirmish begins, but something strange is happening in Edom...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that we know why the Seelie Queen wanted to talk to Team Jace, how will that affect the future of Team Rune?
> 
> Fun fact: Cherokee was originally the wolf imprisoned in the cell, not Devan.

We all just mill around the Institute for a while, none of us knowing what to do. Devan's escaped his cell somehow (likely due to his wolfish strength, and no-one taking that into account), Alka's been locked away in some Clave cell somewhere, and William's STILL stuck with the Seelies. Just a typical day for us.  
"There goes the wolf..." Heron says, quietly.  
"One of them." Jace Jr corrects him, looking pointedly at Cherokee (still stuck in wolf form, hiding pathetically under the table), and Luke (currently staring into space, wondering where he went wrong).  
"Oh, sorry." Heron replies, sarcastically. "I forgot I make mistakes too.".  
"Boys." Alec says, warningly. Heron may be a cocky little moron at times, but he knows who to respect. He's also my parabatai, which I'm having trouble getting used to. He shuts up, and Jace Jr, after about a millisecond of thinking, does likewise.  
"What do we do about him?" Luke asks, breaking out of his trance.  
"I know I always try and see the best in everyone --" Sophia begins, and is cut off by loud boos and several death glares. "Hear me out here, would you.".  
Surprisingly, everyone shuts up.  
"I know I always try and see the best in everyone, but there are some people that you just can't see the best of. Because there's no good in them. Devan may not be wholly bad, but he's too far gone for us to do anything." Sophia explains.  
Heron looks a little puzzled, and then his face returns to normal upon his realisation.  
"Basically, you think we should put him down?" He asks.  
Luke doesn't even look mad. He actually looks more like he agrees with Heron and Sophia.  
"What if we return him to the Clave? Nothing happened while he was there..." Jace Sr suggests. Alec nods.  
"It was almost eerily quiet when he was at the Clave, though, because no-one heard anything." I say. "It's almost like he was plotting something.".  
There's collective groans from around the room.  
"If anyone says he might have gone to the Seelie Court because he has a crush on William, I will cry." Magnus says, and for the first time that day, we all laugh.

"Any news on Edom?" I ask, walking into the security room, after finishing up night patrol.  
Magnus and Alec shake their heads in unison.  
"Nothing, other than the fact Asmodeus, Lilith and Jonathan are active again." Magnus answers, voice gloomy.  
I peer, interested, at the security footage they're managing to get via a camera placed strategically in Edom's heart (which they managed to get placed there by sweet-talking a bunch of warlocks). There's movements every now and then offcamera, but the strangest thing is what Lilith and Asmodeus are doing. They're not plotting, attacking, or killing - they're sat around a large table, chatting. The heat signatures show something like biscuits, and cups of tea, on the table in front of them.  
"And that's them plotting?" I ask, almost wishing I knew what Edom biscuits tasted like. Not very nice, I expect, but you've always got to try something before you know you don't like it.  
"We think they've noticed the camera, and are now trying to cover up their movements, or trying to throw us off the scent." Alec explains.  
"Then what's the weird movement and noise from offcamera?" I ask.  
"That'll be their minions plotting." Magnus answers, almost immediately.  
I don't know whether to be relieved or scared, knowing that Lilith and the other two can't do anything with us watching. All thoughts are quickly forced out of mind by the news of Maryse calling an urgent meeting in the main hall - something that makes Alec groan. Loudly.

The meeting goes quickly over the fact that we've screwed up (which we all know, and don't need to be told), and what we'll do to fix the situation. Magnus, Cherokee, Alec, Rune, Heron, Jace Sr and I all not-so-subtly inch toward the Seelie Court portal, and step into it. It takes about a minute, but we all safely land in the Seelie Court. Strangely, we're not greeted by the Seelie Queen - instead, we're greeted by mostly silence, with a side of William screaming in pain in the background. There's a loud howl from the main clearing, followed by a whine, and a loud thump.  
"What the HELL was that?" Jace Sr asks, almost not wanting to know the answer.  
"That was William screaming in pain, followed by Devan howling, followed by Devan being stabbed or something and whining, followed by Devan collapsing. Judging by the way he whimpered, he's likely been sedated." Heron answers, swiftly, and I don't need to look at Magnus' face to know he's gone pale.  
"Should we give them a good old Shadowhunter hello?" Rune asks.  
Alec turns to look at her, his face incredulous.  
"We're storming the Court? After how badly injured you got last time?" He asks, voice wavering.  
Rune shrugs, nonchalantly.  
"Can you think of a better way of getting your son back?" She asks.  
Reluctantly, Alec shakes his head.  
"I suppose we'll be storming the Court, then." He answers. "What's the plan?" .  
Rune smiles.  
"We Shadowhunters will take the brunt of the attack, with Cherokee and Magnus providing aid. It's not that I don't think you're good enough to fight with us, it's that the Seelies will give us hell if Downworlder blood is spilled in the Court, especially by a Shadowhunter." She explains.  
Everyone nods, but before we can put this plan into action, Cherokee hares forward, and lunges on the Seelie holding William prisoner.  
"Orrrrrr... We could just attack." Rune says, visibly deflated, and we all charge at the Seelies, carefully avoiding Devan's unconscious body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you were one of the members of Team Rune (or one of their associates), who would you be?  
> As Rodrigo was based off me and my own experiences (no, I am not a vampire, before you ask), I'd have to say I'd be Rodrigo, but who would you be?


	30. No Rest For the Wicked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teams Rune and Jace win the second Seelie Court skirmish, but summoning a greater demon might have a few unwelcome impacts...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: William was originally named Thomas.
> 
> Also, at some point between Season 2 and Season 3, Rodrigo moved out of Simon and Raphael's home, getting his own apartment and sharing it with Heron (because they're parabatai).

Rune, Heron, Magnus, Alec, Jace Sr and I all charge forward, mowing down the Seelies' main line of defence. I feel bad for them, but there is something disturbingly satisfying in seeing them all run. Rune flanks my left side, and I flank Jace's right, all three of us working together to take down a large group of Seelie Warriors. Among the fallen, I recognise Meliorn, and silently pray that the Angel Raziel will save his soul. After all, he did help us retrieve Raph quicker. The Seelies are powerful warriors, cold and unrelenting, and only William's pained screams prevent us from giving up entirely.  
Halfway through the skirmish that's now more like a battle, Maria steps through the Institute portal, followed by a man, pale-skinned, slender, and in a dark black tuxedo. I would say it's Raph, but Raph isn't exactly tall.  
"Is that...?" Magnus begins, horror painting his face.  
"Azazel!" A Seelie Warrior screams. "All is lost!".  
The Seelie Queen hurriedly leaves the area, followed by several high-ranking Seelie Warriors, and a few more I recognise - Kaelie, Regan, and Altea. They've all helped out at some point. I almost feel guilty about storming the Court.   
The remaining Seelies start quaking in fear as Azazel advances toward them, arms held out high, held out proudly, held out without a single fear. Magnus, obviously realising what Azazel is going to do, creates a huge shield around me, Rune, Heron, Alec, Jace Sr, Cherokee, Maria and William.   
"Mea maxima culpa..." Maria whispers. "Oh, Raziel, please have mercy on me.".  
Azazel stops near the entrance to the clearing. For one perfect second, we all (Magnus included) think he's going to leave, going to return to Judial, where he came from. But he doesn't. He stays, and he releases a blast of demonic magic so powerful that it throws the Seelie Warriors against the Court's walls, sickening crunches following as they hit the walls, and then hit the cold, hard floor. Devan, unlike the Seelies, only hits the wall with a blunt thud, and lands near gently on the floor. Satisfied that his work is done, Azazel nods, and walks over to Maria, who's shaking violently.  
"My bill will arrive soon." He says, and opens a portal to - oh, the horror - Edom, steps through it, and vanishes. The portal closes soon after.  
Magnus lets the shields down, and runs over to William, who's being looked after by Cherokee. She's stayed dutifully by his injured side during the entire skirmish, and looks relieved to know that the skirmish is over. Alec, relieved that William is still alive and in safe hands, walks over to the shaking Maria. He gently places a hand on her shoulder, and she looks up at him, bloody tears running down her face at the speed of sound.  
"Hey, it's OK." Alec says, softly. "The skirmish is over.".  
Maria shakes her head.  
"No, it's not OK." She replies, and Magnus, holding William in his arms, walks over.  
"Why isn't it OK?" He asks, gently. "Aside from the fact that we just decimated the Seelies.".  
Maria's shaking too badly to answer, but manages to collect herself enough to form a coherent sentence.  
"I - I - I sum - I summoned - I summoned Azazel..." She says, hiccoughing.  
Magnus doesn't answer, and instead just directs us all into the Institute portal.

"Where the hell did Azazel even come from?" Jace Jr asks, staring at Edom's surveillance cameras. Azazel has now joined Lilith and Asmodeus in their little chatting session, as well as Jonathan bringing in fresh cups of tea and new packets of biscuits.  
"I managed to trace his teleportation residues from Judial." Magnus answers. "This means that Judial is now also active, and all of the greater demons residing there - so Azazel, Crowley, potentially even Cain - have joined forces with those in Edom.".  
I flick the camera to where Lilith's minions are, and almost immediately, we all notice a change in Lilith's camera. It's like they know they're being watched, and also know that we've just turned down the surveillance, so their time to act is now.  
"I mean, at this point, if you're Lilith, what the hell's the point in getting an army?" Max asks, looking disdainfully at the cameras.  
"Overkill?" I suggest.  
Magnus nods, seriously.  
"Lilith won't stop the attack until we're all ground into dust." He says. "That is, when she attacks.".  
I rub circles into my forehead, hoping to calm the banging headache.  
"Thank you for that lovely mental image." I say, sarcastically, and Magnus smiles.  
"You're very welcome." He answers, then clicks his fingers, and my headache dissolves.  
"What did Azazel mean by 'my bill will come soon'?" Alec asks.  
Magnus gets up off the chair, switches the cameras back to Lilith's lot (previously only one was monitoring her), and sighs.  
"Summoning demons always comes with a price. I don't know what the price is for Maria. It could be pledging loyalty to their side, her soul, us... I have no idea." He explains.  
"Keep her in the Institute, make sure Azazel can't get in." Alec says, slipping back into leader-mode.  
Magnus nods, and the rest of us filter out of the surveillance room.

I walk out into the balcony of my apartment, finding Rune there, sipping a glass of water. I stand beside her, and sip my own glass of blood orange juice.  
"How are you holding up?" I ask. In the first Seelie Court skirmish, Rune was extremely badly injured, with quite a few injuries still not healing by the time the second skirmish - which finished less than an hour ago - rolled around.  
"I'm alright. Just the usual Shadowhunter injuries." She answers.  
I pause, and check her over for wounds. There's a few small slashes on her neck, blood dripping slowly down, and a few cuts and bruises on her face and hands. Nothing too major, but it's usually the internal injuries that kill Shadowhunters.  
"Did you get stabbed or anything?" I ask, concern growing in my chest, like the chest of a bird of paradise.  
"This time?" Rune asks. "No.".  
I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding in, or need, and Rune smiles.  
"Thank you for having my back." She says.  
I nod.  
"The honour is all mine." I reply.  
A few hours pass, and we've heard nothing on William, Maria, Cherokee, or Devan (who we presume to be either dead, in Edom, or stuck with the Seelies - or what's left of them).   
"Hey, Rune..." I begin.  
Rune doesn't answer.  
"Rune?" I ask, now immediately concerned again.  
Rune turns around, and I can see that her eyes are jet black. She's possessed. Question is, by who? Or by what? Frantically, yet also as calmly as I can muster, I ping off a text to Magnus.  
[Rodrigo: Rune's possessed, send help.]  
I'm trapped on the floor by Rune's newfound strength, and I know it's only a matter of time before whatever's in her figures out that not only am I a Shadowhunter, but a vampire to boot, and tries to stake me.  
[Magnus: Stay calm, I'm on my way.]  
I stare into the jet black eyes that are now so unfamiliar.  
"Rune, if you're still in there, I'm going to need you to fight like your life depends on it." I say, choking a little due to the demon's stranglehold. "You're a Shadowhunter. Fight for those who can't, for those who won't, and for those who don't have a voice. I know you're still in there.".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so ends Season 3.
> 
> Season 4 starts soon, with patrols, parabatai, demons, attacks, small skirmishes, and the question of just what it means to be a Shadowhunter.  
> Be ready.


	31. Glitter and Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rune is taken to the Institute, where Magnus attempts to help rid her of Azazel. But how is Rodrigo coping with everything? Some people cope with guilt very differently to others...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: A few of the original names for Rodrigo were Raúl, Rafael, Paulo and Rio.

I'm stuck on the floor, pinned there by the demon's unnatural strength. Magnus is taking forever, and with every minute that passes, I can feel my energy drain. Sure, being a vampire means that I don't really have a problem with that, but it'd be nice to not faint while a psychotic demon is possessing Rune. Isabelle will give me hell if I don't get her daughter back.   
[Rodrigo: For god's sake, stop doing Alec and get this demon off me!]  
[Magnus: I'm nearly there, calm down.]  
After what feels like a very long eternity, Magnus manages to kick the door open with strength I didn't know he had, and heaves Rune off me. I roll onto my side, coughing a little. I may not need to breathe, but I do still have a coughing reflex.  
"Azazel..." Magnus breathes.  
I heave myself into my feet.  
"I'm sorry, what?" I ask, harsher than I intended to.  
Magnus turns around to face me, keeping his grip tightly on Rune.  
"Lilith has ripped a shard of Azazel's soul out of him, and put it into this demon... It's almost like a... You could say it's Azazel's ghost. A ghost, or an echo." He explains.  
I look from him to Rune, and sigh.  
"What are we going to tell Isabelle?" I ask, despairingly.   
Magnus breathes out through his nose, hard. Sympathy flits through his eyes, before determination takes its place.  
"First things first, we need to get the demon out." He says, voice rough, and summons a portal to the Institute. I don't hesitate to step in it.

"How different would life be like here if I wasn't a part of Team Rune?" I ask, later. Rune's in one of the Institute's glass cells, and Heron's stood by me, watching her.  
"Quite dull, I imagine. Why?" Heron asks.  
We both jump as Rune slams a fist on the glass, but relax when we realise that she can't break it, no matter how hard she tries. She'll break her fist before she breaks the glass.  
"Try as I might, I can't stop blaming myself for all of this." I respond.  
Heron looks away from Rune.  
"Why would you blame yourself for this?" He asks, his tone disbelieving.  
I turn to face him.  
"It's just... All this mess with the Clave, with the Seelies, with Devan, with Rune, and now Edom... I just... This wouldn't've happened if I wasn't part of it." I reply. Bloody tears threaten my eyes, and I can't prevent a sniffle.  
"But think about how many you've saved. Cherokee, Maria, William, Claudia, Fiona... Rune. It's in your nature to protect those you care about, or those who are cared about by those you love. None of this is your fault. Devan's too far gone to save, the Seelies are imbeciles and we all know it, and the Clave's full of moronic politicians who think they can do as they please. Edom was going to become active again sometime anyway." Heron explains.  
I stare at the floor. Rune slams her fist on the glass again, but I don't notice it much.  
"All this happened because I brought up Devan's addiction." I mumble.  
Heron's face is pained.  
"You were trying to help him." He says, quietly.  
I don't respond. I remember telling Raph that becoming a Shadowhunter won't do anything to me, I remember telling him that 'I'm a vampire. We don't let anything break us'. I can't let anything break me - because there's nothing left to break.

Cherokee strolls into the penthouse's common area, and sits by me.  
"How's it going?" She asks, softly.  
We were given strict instructions to head back to college, so that we wouldn't get injured by Rune, or possessed by the shard of Azazel's soul. I had to get shoved into the portal.  
"Alright, I suppose. I've been invited to Gamma Majora." I reply.  
Cherokee smiles.  
"That's our vamp. Congratulations." She says. "I got invited to Oozma Helios, although I'm not sure how keen Mortley'll be to actually interact with me. He knows I'm a werewolf - damn Seelie Queen told him - but he hasn't told the rest of the sorority. I wonder why.".  
I put down my Gamma Majora invitation.  
"Likely because you'll have a constant bullseye on your back, and the sorority will make your life a living hell. Either that, or the Seelie Queen's finally decided to be useful, and scared him into silence." I respond. Cherokee laughs.  
"With luck like ours, it's probably the first." She giggles, and I laugh a little too.  
Heron and Claudia stroll in the unlocked penthouse door, and sit down by Cherokee and I.  
"Any news?" Cherokee asks, eagerly.  
"Azarune's still going nuts." Claudia replies, gloomily.  
Cherokee looks confused. I don't blame her.  
"Azarune?" I ask, slowly.  
"It's a hybrid of Azazel and Rune." Claudia replies, quickly. "No, I don't ship them.".  
Heron laughs, a long, genuine, somewhat mirthless laugh.  
"She gave Azazel's shard a nickname, and also wouldn't stop singing 'Where did you come from, where did you go, where did you come from, Azazel's ghost?' while we were there." He chokes out, inbetween breaths.  
Cherokee starts clapping sarcastically, and Claudia stands up and bows.  
"Thank you, thank you. I'm here all week." Claudia smiles.  
Seeing my expression, Heron's becomes much more serious.  
"Don't worry, Royo. Magnus will stop at nothing to get Rune back." He says, softly, and pats my shoulder lightly.  
Cherokee and Claudia smile sincerely.  
"So, did you get accepted by Omega fin Aqua?" Cherokee asks Claudia.  
"I got invited by Gamma Majora, but we all know what my response is." Heron mutters, and we all laugh.  
"Yes, Cherokee, I did." Claudia replies, and Cherokee breathes out, placing a hand over her heart in mock relief.  
"Thank god. Rodrigo wouldn't hear the end of it if you hadn't." She says, and we all laugh again.

It's late at night when I decide to ask Raph about the situation. I pull out my phone, and ping off a text. I get a reply back within seconds.  
[Rodrigo: Any luck?]  
[Raphael: None yet. Do not give up, though, pequeño.]  
I just sigh, and put my phone away again. At a loss of other things to do, I walk into my room, and get into bed. I eventually drift off, wondering what it would take to put things right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so begins Season 4. 
> 
> You'll see a lot more of Heron and Rodrigo working together this season, and you'll see just what happens when wars are won and demons just can't take no for an answer...


	32. Hellbound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Demons switch places possessing poor Rune, but disturbing details about Devan and Cherokee come to light...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: My husband wrote a brief paragraph for this series. I'll put it in the end notes.

Dawn breaks at long last in the penthouse, and I walk out into the common area to find Claudia watching the sunrise.  
"Can't sleep?" I ask, rubbing the exhaustion from my eyes.  
Claudia turns around.  
"No. Well, yes, but... I'm terrified for Rune, and also for Cherokee." She answers.  
I pick up a few muffins from the kitchen, and sit down next to Claudia. The sunrise is certainly beautiful, dappling the sky in red, orange, and finally yellow, and it almost feels like it's scanning me for demonic impurities. My father's a murderous Nephilim, and I'm a vampire myself, so whatever monitors the sun's rays will be having a field day with MY demonic impurities. I don't know about anyone else.  
"Why Cherokee?" I pick up a knife, and gently slice into the muffin. Bloody caramel oozes out, and both me and Claudia hiss a little. Sure, we're not savages, but hissing is an involuntary response to smelling blood.  
"I... I saw marks on her neck the other day..." Claudia begins, her voice shaking.  
"Are you sure those aren't just where she was Turned?" I ask, picking up and biting part of the muffin. They're absolutely delicious - I don't know, and don't want to know, where Heron got the blood from, but they're lovely. Certainly better than what I've ever made in terms of muffins, anyhow.  
"Considering they were bleeding, no." Claudia answers, after a while.  
I pause, and stare at the blade in my hand. I wonder, would injuring myself have any effect, or will it just heal after three seconds, as per usual?  
"Rodrigo!" Claudia cries, shocked.  
"Steady on." I say, quietly. I peer at the tiny cut on the tip of my finger, and, like I predicted, it heals in around three seconds. "See? I'm fine.".  
Claudia looks shaken.  
"Please don't tell me you're self-harming..." She says, slowly, after a long pause.  
I stare at her.  
"Of course I'm not. I just wondered if consciously injuring myself would do anything, seeing as most of the times I get injured, it's when I'm chopping up lettuce." I reply. We both shudder upon the word 'lettuce'.  
"Last I checked, injuries were injuries. I suppose it doesn't matter as you're a vampire - and so am I - but please don't self-harm." Claudia answers.  
I nod.  
"Why would I?" I ask, and Claudia goes into her room to get changed.

At around 6am, my phone pings, and I check it to see a message from William in the group chat. It's short and to the point, but my stomach lurches a little.  
[William: Everyone to my penthouse - number 12 - apparently there's been a development with Azarune.]  
"CLAUDIA!" I yell in the open space. "PENTHOUSE 12!".  
There's scuffling noises, followed by crashing noises, followed by a loud " FOR GOD'S SAKE!", followed by Claudia's bedroom door opening, followed by Claudia tumbling out of the room.  
"Let's go!" She manages to cry, from the floor.  
I pick her up in a bridal carry, then spend about half an hour searching for Penthouse 12, and then run headlong through the portal, ending up in the Institute. I don't recognise my surroundings for a while, until I turn around and notice Rune still stuck in one of the glass cells. I put Claudia down gently, and walk over to Heron's side.  
"So... What's the development?" I ask.  
"Magnus managed to get Azazel out of her... But Lilith's flown in to say hello." He says, fear making his voice shake.  
I can't prevent myself from letting out a low growl. Rune bangs a fist against the glass, and Magnus smiles a little.  
"Hello, Lilith." He says, coolly. "I see you're not so big now you're trapped in a puny Shadowhunter's body." .  
Alec's face contorts slightly, but returns to normal when he realises Magnus is merely trying to rile Lilith up, so she'll reveal her plan. I have to admit, he's pretty clever.  
"Asmodeus is on my side, Bane." Lilirune spits. Her voice is abnormally deep, and her eyes are jet black, save for a tiny ring of white on the outsides.   
"And that means...?" Magnus asks, still coolly. His hands are shaking, but he's holding them behind his back, where Lilith can't see them.  
"That means I can kill you with no consequences." Lilirune answers.  
A blast of red magic hits the glass wall, and bounces off, knocking William off his feet.  
"No, you can't!" He cries, from the floor.  
Lilirune's face splits in a sardonic smile.  
"I see even your children are foolish, Bane." She says, in a voice of sickening innocence.  
Alec places a strong hand on Magnus' shoulder, reminding him to stay calm. I stay by Heron's side, both of us absolutely terrified.  
"Darkness is coming, little Shadowhunters." Lilirune says, still smiling. "Just you wait and see.".  
And with that, Lilith flies out of Rune's body and through the open air vents in a cloud of black smoke. Rune crumples to the floor, and at last, Magnus lets me go in to see her.

Rune ends up being escorted to the infirmary, while I sit down in the main hall, nearly shellshocked.   
"I've never seen demonic possession like that before." Magnus says, slowly.  
Jace Sr laughs a little.  
"Clearly, you never saw me as the Owl." He snickers.  
I can't help but laugh too, and out of the corner of my eye, I notice William talking to Cherokee. I excuse myself, and hide behind a pillar near Cherokee and William.  
"Thanks for saving me from the Seelies - and I'm sorry it's taken me so long to say it." William says, slowly.  
Cherokee laughs. It's a charming laugh, I notice.  
"You're welcome." She replies.  
"What's that scratch on your neck?" William asks.  
Everything goes dead silent. Everyone's cleared out of the hall to check on Edom surveillance, and I can hear Heron drop a stele in the other room.  
"Nothing. Just where I was Turned." Cherokee answers, a little too quickly for my liking. William picks up on this too.  
"No - the other side." He says, and there's a loud, high-pitched screech. I'm guessing he accidentally pressed (what I'm also guessing is) a cut on Cherokee's neck.  
Another dead silence descends on the Institute. I can hear Heron drop another stele, and roll my eyes. For a profiler who gets himself caught in demon ambushes so frequently, he's certainly terrible at applying runes. There's no answer, and eventually Cherokee stalks past my hiding place. I see the cut on her neck as she stalks by, and it's painstakingly obvious - it's healing, but there's a little bubble of blood on it that's making me grit my teeth.

"Have we heard anything from Devan?" I ask, walking into the surveillance room.  
Cherokee visibly stiffens, and everyone else just looks confused.  
"I thought he died down in the Seelie Court, when Azazel slammed him against the wall?" William asks.   
"There's no body." Claudia says, checking the cameras. "He's either already buried, or alive and somewhere in the world.". She pauses. "I know that's not very helpful, but I don't want to specify in case he's about a thousand miles away from where I said." .  
I sit down. Devan's STILL on the loose. How can he keep escaping?  
"So... The prodigal werewolf still isn't dead?" Heron asks.  
Claudia nods, grimly.  
"Fun." Heron says, sitting down on the desk.  
Cherokee coughs, and everyone turns to look at her.  
"Devan visited me a few days ago - warned me that I should leave here if I want you all to stay safe." She begins.  
I place a hand on her shoulder, seeing as I'm nearest to her. She's extremely tense, and doesn't relax at all upon feeling my hand on her shoulder. If anything, she just tenses more.  
"Why would he tell you that?" Magnus asks.  
"If he's in league with Lilith..." Heron begins.  
"Devan may have done some stupid things recently, but he's not THAT stupid." Luke cuts him off.  
I can't find it in me to agree with Luke.  
"Because he knows something big is coming, something that makes you all targets, as well as myself." Cherokee answers.  
"And why would he tell you?" Claudia asks.  
"Because..." Cherokee's breath suddenly hitches, and she tries again. "Because Devan's the one who Turned me.".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, here we are at the end notes, and as promised, here is my husband's brief paragraph (that didn't make it into the final product, for obvious reasons).
> 
> /////
> 
> I wait in the office for a while, peering at the pictures on the walls. Alec's decorated the room well, with photos here and there of Magnus and Isabelle, and Max, Jace Jr and William. There's even an embarrassing baby photo of his three children, my fellow Shadowhunters. Suddenly, his phone rings. I pick it up, and see the contact name, which is 'Daddy'.  
> "ALEC!" I yell. "ROBERT'S CALLING YOU!".  
> Isabelle walks in the room, takes the phone from me and says, highly amused:  
> "He's only ever called one person in his life 'daddy'... And that sure as hell wasn't Robert.".


	33. City of the Parabatai (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While a decision is made on what to do about Devan, Heron and Rodrigo get to know each other a little better - or at least try to, anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: There are only three main blonde characters in Down Like A Warlock - Jace Sr, Heron, and William. Everyone else is either a brunette or has some form of black hair.

For a solid half-hour, there's only a shocked silence in the room. No-one says anything. How do you react when you find out that your ex-best friend Turned an innocent young mundane? Suddenly, though, the silence is broken by Luke leaning forward, and slamming his palms on the table. A wave of people jumping ripples around the table, and we all stare at Luke in curiosity, and, partly, fear.  
"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" Luke asks, softly. He isn't looking at Cherokee - he isn't looking at any of us, in fact. He's probably still trying to process what just happened.  
I don't blame him, I am too. I knew Devan was a little unhinged at the best of times, but... Turning someone? That's a new low, even for him.  
"Because he's your son..." Cherokee answers. The poor girl's voice is trembling.  
"Devan is basically dead to us now, so it really doesn't matter what you say about him." Heron calls from somewhere near the back of the room. Startlingly, I find myself agreeing with him.  
Luke nods, and finally turns to look at Cherokee.  
"He stopped being my son the day he betrayed us for the Clave." He says, and I can see a flicker of sadness flit through his eyes - although it's gone as quickly as it came.  
Another shocked silence infiltrates the room. I remember when I used to enjoy the silence. Now it just makes me wary.  
"Say we were to find him... What do we do?" Heron asks.  
I can't say I wasn't expecting what Luke says next, but it also comes across as a blunt shock.  
"Put him down." He says. His voice is strangled, and we all know why. Devan is still his son, drugged-out werewolf or not.  
"You have my word." Heron says, deciding to honour Luke's decision.  
The rest of us nod in agreement.  
"Ours too." I say. Luke nods, and allows a glimmer of a smile to form on his tired features.

I skip the rest of the meeting, and go to my apartment's balcony, to think. The cool night air helps me relax, although I know I'm still tenser than I've ever been. There's the rebellion from hell coming - both literally, as Edom is a dimension of hell, and figuratively, as it's full of people who know how to fight - and we now also have orders to put down Devan. I just hope someone gets to him before I do. It's not a question of him being my friend anymore - the Devan I knew is gone - but merely a question of sentimentality and Devan's insane puppy eyes.  
"Needed to clear your head?" Heron asks, walking out onto the balcony.  
"Something like that." I reply.  
Heron hands me a glass of the sparkling grape juice I remember so well from the Gamma Majora party, and I take it, gratefully. He twirls his own glass with long, graceful fingers, and he too looks rather shocked.  
"I don't want to have to put him down." Heron says, suddenly.  
I smile a little.  
"Then we have that in common." I reply.  
Heron can't help but smile.  
"We're parabatai, I think we have a lot in common." He smiles.  
"Oh, yes, because you're also a vampire." I smirk, and Heron laughs.  
"Well, you never know..." He grins, and I punch him in the arm. He's incredibly annoying, but like he says, he is my parabatai.  
"So what's your favourite colour?" He asks, out of the blue. I'm thankful for the change of subject, but a little taken aback by the question.  
"... Why are you asking?" I ask, my eyes ever-so-slightly narrowed.  
Heron rolls his eyes.  
"You see, the whole way this parabatai thing works is that you tell each other the deep stuff." He answers.  
I pause. What is there about me that he doesn't already know? Everyone seems to know my secrets before I know them myself. A Shadowhunter in Idris came up to me and said, quite coldly, 'So you're a Shadowhunter now?'. Was that supposed to be a secret? I mean, it's no secret that I'm pansexual, and also that I'm part vampire... Maybe I'm just really bad at keeping my own secrets.  
"I thought you said you could read me like an open book?" I ask, finally unnarrowing my eyes.  
"I can read your emotions, your actions, what you've recently been doing by your body language, eyes, and chosen vocabulary, and I can also read what others have been doing, via text and word of mouth - and good old stalking - but I can't read what your actual thoughts are. I'm not a psychic." Heron answers.  
I laugh a little.  
"Fine. My favourite colour is silver." I answer.  
Heron smiles.  
"Mine too." He says, and I can tell that him and I will be very good warriors in future. As long as we know what each other's weakest and strongest points are, we'll be set for our entire Shadowhunting career.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shadowhunters is back, I forgot to say!  
> What did you think of 3.11?  
> What do you think 3.12 will be like?  
> I'm so excited for the training scene, and I can't wait to see more of Jonathan.


	34. City of the Parabatai (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heron and Rodrigo enjoy some downtime in their shared apartment, but the emergence of missing/murdered Downworld children sidelines everything. Is this all an attempt by Edom's forces to distract Team Rune, or is there something more sinister going on here?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: Heron's parabatai was originally supposed to be Jace Jr.

The early morning sun filters in through the still-open balcony doors, and I wake with a start, realising that not only did I forget to close the doors, but I could also have let a demon in.  
"Ah, crap." I mutter. I heave myself off the sofa, wobble for a few moments on unsteady legs, and eventually manage to force myself over to where my Sereph blade lies, propped up against the wall (more specifically, right next to my bedroom door). Heron walks into the living room, and snorts.  
"Wow." He says, slowly, dragging the word out. "For someone so dignified, you certainly are good at impersonating a newborn foal.".  
I growl a little, and, grabbing my Sereph blade in triumph, take my hands off the wall, and fall over. I hit the floor with a dull 'thud', although it doesn't hurt as much as it used to. After about five failed attempts, I manage to pull myself to my feet, and stand at my full height in the living room, much more stable than before. I can feel Heron's eyes following me the whole way.  
"Magnus is probably wondering what's going on in here." Heron says, looking at my front door.  
"He doesn't know we're neighbours yet, so god only knows what he's thinking." I mutter in reply, and run around like a rabid squirrel trying to find the demon that certainly didn't enter my apartment yesterday. After finding nothing but a few crumbs left by me, in the kitchen, I give up, and walk back into the living room, flopping down on the sofa.   
"Why did you decide to move out of your parents' house?" Heron asks. He's hovering by the kitchen, merrily sipping an orange juice box.  
"Is this another 'the way the parabatai thing works is you tell each other the deep stuff' question?" I ask, wearily.  
I hear a snort, followed by loud, breathless, gulping coughing. Oops.  
"I suppose so." Heron manages to say, after nearly choking.  
I'm about to answer, when there's a series of loud taps administered to my front door. Heron and I stare at each other, and only when Heron makes a few small odd-looking contemporary dance movements, do I realise that he means 'it's Magnus'. I brush myself off, place my Sereph blade next to the mirror in my room, and then open the front door. As expected, Magnus is stood there, drawn up to his full 5" 11' height, and covered in a thin sheen of glitter. It's less than usual, but no less shiny.  
"Hello?" I say, managing to make my voice sound much less innocent than it actually is.  
"I've come to ask you to turn down the noi - oh. Hello, Rodrigo." Magnus answers, faltering halfway through. He recovers, and smiles.  
"Hi. Do you have actual business here, or have you come to tell me that Maryse has called for the Clave to strip me of my runes?" I ask, roughly, but both Magnus and I know that I don't intend to sound hostile. It's only a little difficult to keep your voice even when talking about Maryse 'the Downworlders can go to hell' Lightwood.  
"No... I just wanted to ask if you could turn the noise down." Magnus replies.  
"I'll do my best." I smile. Magnus drops me a glittery wink, and goes back across the hall into his own apartment, closing the door gently behind him.

The Institute sends out a message, some four or five hours later, to all Shadowhunters within New York, stating that Downworlder children are going missing, left, right and centre. Already, Rune and Sophia have been tasked with investigating the missing werewolf children, Fiona and her new parabatai (Jace Jr) have been tasked with investigating the missing vampire children (or at least small children adopted/Turned by the vampire clan of the Dumort), and Alec and Jace Sr have been tasked with investigating the missing fey children. Eventually, a new update comes through, assigning Heron and I to the missing warlock children. Attached to that is a note from Maryse herself, saying that she believes that Edom's forces are behind this.  
"What are we investigating?" Heron asks, from his room.  
"The missing warlock children." I holler, from the living room.  
"I'll get my Sereph blade!" Heron hollers back.  
I run into my room and pick up my own Sereph blade, after changing into the usual black leather Shadowhunting gear, and, meeting Heron in the living room, walk out of the apartment, locking the door behind us.

It's unnaturally cold outside the building, making Heron's nose go red in about a minute, and making his lips go blue in about two minutes. His ears turn red, too, making him look like a teenager who wanted to become a clown, but never quite grew out of their emo phase. I voice this to him, and he laughs a little, his breath puffing up in front of him (and nearly freezing), before he goes:  
"It's not a phase, mooooooooooom!".  
I can't help but laugh as well at that, although our laughter soon dies in our throats when we see the body of a young female warlock, frozen solid to the side of a building. We rush over to her, and our faces fall as we realise she's dead.   
"She isn't much older than 15..." Heron says, sadly, after examining her body.  
"15 what?" I ask, examining the surroundings.  
"Just 15." Heron replies. "Hold on - is that ichor?".  
I swivel around on my heels, to find Heron peering intently at a small patch of a grimy black substance on the ground.  
"It's probably oil." I reply, but I'm not entirely sure.  
"Does oil tend to thrash about violently?" Heron asks.  
I peer closer at the black puddle, and realise that it is indeed thrashing around violently - almost like it despises itself. In a way, it reminds me of Devan. Does that mean the warlock's death wasn't just an accident, caused by freakishly cold weather? Was it a demon attack? There were no visible wounds on the warlock's body, but she could've suffered a heart attack, and frozen...  
"I've checked with Rune, Alec, and Fiona - they've all reported the same thing with all the bodies they've found." Heron says, walking over to me. I hadn't even noticed he'd walked away.  
"Does that mean this was a demon attack?" I ask.  
Heron nods.  
"I'm not sure what Lilith means to achieve by killing Downworlders, but she's certainly the prime suspect here." He answers, biting his lower lip. "Unless..." He trails off.  
I look at him in a kind of semidetached wonder.  
"Unless what?" I ask, urgently.  
"Unless it was Jonathan." Heron answers, his teeth chattering. "He's blind as a bat now, he probably can't tell what's a Shadowhunter and what's a Downworlder. And he was never very smart to begin with.".  
I think back to how he stabbed me last Christmas, in the guise of Sebastian Verlac. He seemed pretty smart to me, but that must've been Sebastian's consciousness or blood, or whatever he used.  
"Hmmmmm..." I say, noncommittally, while thinking.  
There's a loud screech in front of us, followed by an unearthly scream, and I break out of my trance. It's a demon, but it's not any old demon. It's Lilith. And pinned under her unforgiving claws, lies my own parabatai, nearly completely frozen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry last chapter was so short. I took a break from writing when I originally wrote this, and the chapter ended up being shorter than I anticipated, but hopefully it was still good.
> 
> I thought of a song that suits Rodrigo - 'Don't Let Me Go', by Raign.  
> "Where do we go, when we walk on light?  
> Who do we call, at the edge of night?  
> Carry me close like the teardrops in your eyes  
> All I can give you is memories  
> Carry them close, and I'll never leave"
> 
> And then of course Not Today (BTS) suits the entire of Team Rune (as a team, though, not individually)  
> "Trust in the word 'together'  
> Trust that it's bulletproof"  
> And  
> "Run if you can't fly (today we will survive)  
> Walk if you can't run (today we will survive)"  
> And even  
> "Because our faith was entirely on each other".
> 
> Just a thought. :)


	35. City of the Parabatai (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lilith overstays her welcome, Heron and Rodrigo send her back to hell, and parabatai share some fond memories. But when the dust settles on the mini massacre in New York, what will be left standing?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: 98% of Down Like A Warlock's characters are bisexual.

I stare in horror at the Queen of Edom in front of me - she's certainly what you'd call an ugly brute, alright, all horns and wings and partially rotting demonic flesh. Pinned under her, Heron wriggles violently, his attempts futile under the unforgiving claws of the angered Edomian native. If he stays there much longer, he's going to freeze to death.   
"Heron... Heron, can you still hear me?" I ask, stepping back a little from Lilith.  
"Yes..." Heron answers, weakly.  
"What do I do?" I ask. "How do I help you?".  
Heron wriggles again, struggles against Lilith's claws, and lets out an inhuman howl of pain as one tears through his left arm. He pulls out a long, sharp blade, and throws it out to the side of him, letting it clatter to the ground. His Sereph blade.   
"Its name... Is Gabriel..." Heron's words sound forced now, and it's no mystery why.  
I run over to the blade, pick it up, and hold it out in front of me.  
"Gabriel." I whisper. The blade activates in a burst of blue light, making Lilith screech in pain, and/or partial blindness. It takes a moment, but heavenly fire suddenly bursts out on the blade's sharp edges, and I take the opportunity to drive the blade through Lilith's claws, making her screech again, and let go of Heron, recoiling in pain.  
Heron manages a weak smile, and takes Gabriel gently from me, allowing the blade to warm him up, while I pull out my own blade.  
"Raphael." I whisper. The blade activates in a burst of white light, and I can suddenly feel Heron's back pressing against my own.  
"Really?" He asks, in a shaking voice, yet somehow still sounding like his normal, sarcastic self. "Raphael?".  
I snort.  
"It IS an angel's name... And all these blades are named after angels..." I say, holding back a laugh. Heron makes a noise of agreement, and lunges forward, plunging Gabriel deep into the heart of a Ravener demon.  
In front of me, Lilith flies off, and a hoarde of demons approach. Shax, Ravener, Raum... You name it, Lilith will send it. Gabriel flashes out of the corner of my eye, the sun glinting on its silvery surface, and soon, Raphael joins it in this ungodly skirmish, tackling whatever dares come near my parabatai. Within minutes, all the demons near us are either dead or have run away, and Raphael allows me one last flicker of heavenly fire, before twinkling and extinguishing. Gabriel does likewise.  
"So... That was fun." Heron says, slowly, the cold now returning to him.  
I smile a little.  
"It was." I say. "But imagine Edom... That's where all these dead demons have gone.".  
Heron shudders.  
"Let's not think about that." He grimaces.  
"I agree." I reply.  
For a while, it's silent, just Heron and I reexamining the body of the female warlock, the ichor, and the bodies of the demons, until the Institute confirms that there's no more demons in the area. Both of us breathe a heavy sigh of relief (I release a breath I didn't know I was holding), and walk back up to our apartment.

I walk out on to the balcony, where I spend most of my time these days, after making sure that Raphael is placed securely in my room, next to my mirror. Gabriel rests just to the right of Heron's bedroom door, and Heron applies an iratze - a healing rune - before joining me on the balcony. It's still freezing cold, like something's frozen the sun, but the sky is now ink black, harsh and uninviting. The night sky is usually a calming sight, but now that no stars are visible - when usually I can see every constellation known to man, and then some - it just makes the sky seem eerie and unnerving.  
"Why is it so cold, do you think?" I ask, after a while.  
Heron mulls the question over.  
"Edom could be draining our world of energy, if there's a lot of demons there. Or it could just be the apocalypse." He answers. I laugh a little.  
"Yeah, well, what's new." I answer.  
Heron laughs.  
"God, you're fun at parties, I bet." He jokes, and I nudge him in the ribs, making him yelp.  
"I was at the Gamma Majora party. I don't think I did too badly there." I answer.  
Heron makes an 'alright, you got me' face, and then suddenly snickers upon remembering something.  
"Do you... Do you..." He can't stop laughing.  
"Breathe, Heron." I say, and he does so.  
"Do you remember that drunk Fifth Year... That tried flirting with Kaleb?" Heron asks, struggling to breathe through laughter.  
I try and remember, and then find myself laughing too.  
"You mean the one that Kaleb nearly slapped?" I ask.  
Heron nods, unable to say anything else.  
"I remember." I confirm. "What about them?".  
"They, they, they... They told him... They told..." Heron pauses, coughs, and tries again. "They told him he looked... Like a goose... Had a baby with a raccoon.".  
The last ounce of self-control I had left evaporates, and I'm laughing my head off before I know it.

Rune and Cherokee join us on the balcony about an hour later, with Rune putting her Sereph blade by the front door, and Cherokee disappearing off into the kitchen.  
"Nice blade. What's it called?" Heron asks.  
"Samandriel." Rune replies, almost curtly.  
Heron nods in minute approval.  
"Nice work with the demons by the warlock." Rune says to both of us. "Maryse is impressed.".  
My jaw drops. Heron pushes it up to its normal position, but it drops again as soon as he lets go. Maryse Lightwood, impressed with what I've done? Am I dreaming? Have I died and gone to Raziel's kingdom?  
"What did you do with the warlock?" I manage to ask. I've just remembered that we left the poor girl's body there.  
"Isabelle picked it up, she's studying it in her lab." Cherokee answers, finally reappearing from the kitchen, with a glass of water.  
"Poor girl." Heron says. "Do we know what killed her?".  
Rune shakes her head, but Cherokee looks thoughtful.  
"I'd say either heart attack by extreme shock, blunt force trauma, or freezing to death. There was a mark on the back of her head, indicative of some sort of wound/blow there, she was found with no other marks on her, and she was found in sub-zero temperatures..." Cherokee mutters, thinking out loud.  
"Wait, she was hit on the head? We didn't see any marks when we found her." I say, now getting a little creeped out.  
"You didn't?" Rune asks, her face contorting in confusion and horror.  
"We didn't." Heron confirms.  
Everyone falls silent. It's clear to us that this isn't just Edom's forces attempting to distract us. No - here, there is something far more sinister at play.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so ends Season 4A.   
> 4B is coming soon. Just 15 chapters left until it all ends.
> 
> I am, however, working on a continuation for Down Like A Warlock, titled Shadowhunters: The Secret Service.  
> Would you like the synopsis and teasers now, or would you rather wait until I've finished uploading Down Like A Warlock?


	36. City of the Parabatai (Part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are getting serious for the members of Teams Jace and Rune, and it's clear that Edom's forces aren't going to back down. All's not fair in love and war - and for Maryse Lightwood, that may mean letting the Downworlders help stop the Edomian Queen...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: The story about the Fifth Year from last chapter was based on an actual incident that happened when I was in Year 11. One of my classmates was absolutely hammered (I have no idea how or why), and told the school headteacher that he looked like a fish had had a baby with a horse. He actually got away with it, because the headteacher found it hilarious.

Dawn finally breaks in the apartment - or, I think it's dawn, I can't tell, because the sun's been almost completely blocked out - and everyone occupying a space in my and Heron's apartment slowly struggles into wakefulness. I'm first up, going around and closing every single window and door in the place (bar the one in Heron's room), and placing Sereph blades in particular blade-holders. The blade-holder stands by the door, and is placed on the wall, with two rods with grips on the end standing up to hold the blade, each holder placed one above the other. I even found out the names of everyone else's blades, due to sheer boredom. On the left side of the door, Raphael (my blade) takes the bottom spot, Gabriel (Heron's blade) above that, a spot for Samael (Jace Jr's blade) above that, and so forth, with a spot for Cassiel (Alka's blade) at the top. On the right side of the door, the bottom spot has a place for Amenadiel (Fiona's blade), and Samandriel (Rune's blade) takes top spot.   
"I see you really do like order here." Rune comments, walking into the living room, closing my bedroom door behind her.  
"Not necessarily order... Just a sense of neatness." I reply, and check the labels for the blades. The labels have the first name of the blade's owner, then the blade's name, so mine is 'RODRIGO - RAPHAEL', and Rune's is 'RUNE - SAMANDRIEL', with Heron's being 'HERON - GABRIEL'.   
Rune makes an amused sound, then walks into the kitchen to get breakfast. I suppose I should too, but I'm too occupied thinking about what's going on. The sun freezing, the Downworlder children dying, the rebellion in Edom... Is this it? Is this what people mean when they say hell is freezing over? Is this the apocalypse?  
"Thanks for letting me stay here, Royo." Cherokee says, softly, still tired.  
I look up from the blades to see her standing by one of the sofas, already dressed, rubbing at the scars on her neck.  
"No worries. It was too late for you to safely get back to the Institute." I reply, smiling.  
Cherokee laughs a little.  
"If I survive this... This rebellion from the depths of hell, then I'd like to stay with you and your crazy lot. What I have going with you is a lot better than what I ever had going back in the mundane society." She says, almost sadly.  
I suppose it's true that we've given Cherokee a new lease of life - a chance to do somethings, say things, enjoy anythings, that she wouldn't be able to do in college for fear of rejection and ridicule. Whereas we've seen it all, so there's no judgement at all from us. Unless, of course, your name starts with 'D', ends with 'N', and you left us for the Clave. Other than that, there's no judgement.  
"Might I ask where you got these blueberry muffins from?" Rune asks, walking into the living room holding one.  
"The hotel down the road was giving them away with the breakfast, so I just kind of... Er... I stockpiled them." I answer, fidgeting a little.  
Cherokee turns back to me, her eyes widening.  
"Why?" She asks, in an almost accusatory tone.  
"Well, I'd like to see you eat frozen pork chops." I reply, and Rune snorts.

After we've all finished our slightly-frozen blueberry muffins, we grab our Sereph blades and head down to the Institute. The temperature seems to have dropped considerably overnight, and I silently curse that I got one of the only free apartments to be about fifteen minutes away from the Institute. Rune, Heron and myself all activate our Sereph blades, basking in the heat from the heavenly fire. Cherokee sticks close, so that she too can bask (partially) in the heat.  
"So, the city is freezing, and there's demons everywhere. Did I miss some kind of Shadowhunter training session on this kind of scenario?" I ask, my boots crunching on the packed ice and freshly fallen snow.  
Heron laughs, a long, mirthless, bitter laugh.  
"I can assure you, this is nothing we were ever prepared for." He says, and to his left, Rune nods.  
I stop, suddenly realising that Cherokee isn't with us, and turn around to see her, making snow angels with the piled-up snow dunes.  
"Cherokee, now's not the time..." Rune mutters.  
"Awwwww..." Cherokee whines, and begrudgingly gets up, brushing herself off. "Later?".  
"Maybe." Heron answers, and I can tell he regrets it the instant he says it.  
Cherokee's eyes light up, and she starts skipping along the path to the Institute.

Almost as soon as we enter the Institute, Shadowhunters that I don't recognise frogmarch Cherokee and I to one corner of the room, where we stand alongside William, Claudia, Maria, Magnus, Simon, Raph, and Luke. For a split second, I wonder why - and then I spot Maryse Lightwood, arguing with Alec. Magnus looks almost tempted to do away with our guards by magic, but his better judgement seems to get the better of him, and he just stays still.  
"Ladies and gentlemen, brilliant Shadowhunters, and..." Maryse pauses her grand speech, looking over at us restrained Downworlders. "Ah... Friends in the less honourable area of birth." She's not even trying anymore. Alec is clearly resisting the urge to shoot his own mother full of arrows, and Heron and Rune are near growling. Fiona looks uncomfortable, but is reasonably calm in contrast to my parabatai and Rune. There's yet another pause, before Maryse finally continues. "The city is freezing, and the demons are invading. Lilith has plans to take over New York, as apparently Edom is not enough. A Queen of demons, a realm of demons... How long is it until Lilith returns to take what is apparently hers?".  
Heron fidgets. It's the first time I've ever seen him do that.  
"It'll take about five times longer to do anything without the aid of the Downworld, Inquisitor." Alka says, slowly.  
Maryse's nostrils flare at Alka's statement. We all know she hates the Downworld, but even she knows that she can't push us to the side forever.  
"Are you suggesting that the Downworld may be of use in this fight - against demons?" She asks, almost shrieking.  
Heron snorts. It's an ugly snort, one that means he means business.  
"We're not suggesting." He says, coldly. "We're telling you.".  
Whatever colour that may have remained in Maryse's face abandons ship. She looks from Heron (who's nodding), to us Downworlders (we all nod), to Alka (who also nods), to us Downworlders again (and we haven't stopped nodding). She pinches the bridge of her nose, and sighs.  
"Fine. The Downworlders may help, provided they are guarded at all times by at least one Shadowhunter." She says, giving up.  
All of us Downworlders grin to each other. That won't be a problem. William and Jace Jr (siblings), Claudia and Fiona (girlfriends, but not yet official), Maria and Max (somewhat romantically involved), Magnus and Alec (husbands), Simon and Clary (best friends), Raph and Isabelle (this time not getting high off each others' blood), Luke and Jace Sr (getting along for Clary's benefit), Cherokee and Rune (close friends, or have been since they both attended the Oozma Helios party), and finally me and Heron (parabatai).  
"Ready to go?" Heron asks.  
I grin.  
"I was born ready." I reply.  
Heron pauses.  
"Weeeellll..." He says, dragging it out.  
I roll my eyes.  
"You know what I mean." I say, and we both hare out of the Institute's doors, ready to send some demons back to hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's an absolutely useless fact about me for you: I speak fluent Latin.  
> I'm also a classically trained acrobat, and haven't not properly landed a flip in about 10 years (I'm 21).
> 
> I'm going to post up to Chapter 1 of Season 5A today, and then I'll post one chapter a day. I'll post the Epilogue about three days later. I hope that's OK with you guys :)


	37. City of the Parabatai (Part 5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our favourite parabatai pairing make plans for how to pass the time before Edom, while Claudia realises just how much Fiona really means to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: I wrote this series just before, during, and just after, the airing of Shadowhunters 3A. Some of the references, behavioural traits and characteristics made it into this series - see if you can find them!

Heron and I run outside, Heron retrieving my Sereph blade from his belt, and almost immediately leg it to our apartment. We need somewhere solid, somewhere guarded, somewhere safe, to plan our attack. Thankfully, the apartment is still as it was, and is still like a sauna in comparison to the city streets.   
"So now New York is overrun with demons, likely Lilith's doing, and Downworlder children are being murdered, left, right, and centre." I start.  
Heron nods. We're both sat by the massive coffee table in the living room, comfortably reclining on the squashy leather sofas (that I had to squabble with Alec over). Our blades lie propped against our legs, gently resting on our boots.  
"We can't just go about killing demons like 'wassup yo, get the hell back to wherever you came from'. That'll just get us killed." Heron adds.  
"And of course this is all just a distraction from what's happening down in Edom..." I realise this, and my face falls. Heron's does likewise, but we don't have time to discuss it before Claudia and Fiona hare in the door, slamming it hard behind them.  
"Hello... We weren't expecting guests..." Heron says, slowly.  
Fiona's breathing hard and fast, pressing her back against the doors, and Claudia just looks extremely shaken. They both look like they've seen a ghost.  
"Are you two alright?" I ask.  
Claudia shakes her head.  
"Azazel... He's got Maria." She says, shakily, and Fiona nods in confirmation. "He tried to get me, too, but Alka was able to send him to Edom - unfortunately, he took Maria with him.".  
Heron and I exchange looks.  
"He did say his bill was due soon... Did he say why he took her?" Heron asks.  
Claudia shakes her head.  
"I didn't hear him say anything." She answers. Fiona manages to wrench herself off the door, and flops down near Heron's spot on one of the sofas. Claudia joins her after a minute, and Heron and I excuse ourselves to the balcony, to let them have their time.

As much as I want to give them their privacy, I can't help but just peer around the corner of the doors at Claudia and Fiona. Heron does likewise, but that's probably because Fiona's his younger sister, and he doesn't want Claudia's (nonexistent) bloodlust getting the better of her. Both of us activate our Hearing runes, and stick to the wall, hugging it for any hope of warmth.   
"You'll come back from Edom, right?" Fiona asks, her voice shaky.  
Claudia laughs a little.  
"Of course I will. Anyway, if we Downworlders aren't back within two weeks, Maryse is sending the Shadowhunters down - likely to show the Downworld how it's done." She says, and Fiona smiles a little.  
A comfortable silence descends upon the two, just sat curled up on each other on Heron's sofa. I have to admit it, they are a very cute pair.  
"I have to make it back, anyway." Claudia says, after a while.  
"Well, yes, you do, but --" Fiona begins, but she's cut off.  
"I have you waiting for me." Claudia finishes.  
Heron gasps, turns to me, and smiles.  
"Well, it looks like Fiona has found love after all. And in a vampire, no less." He muses.  
"Hey." I say, in a mock-offended tone.  
Heron snorts. He says something, but I don't hear it, because I'm too busy noticing how much Fiona will miss Claudia for the few weeks she's down in Edom. It's a soft kiss, barely there (the complete opposite of my and Rune's first kiss, where even though it was hasty, it was definitely there), just a mere brush of lips - but it speaks volumes. It suddenly hits me how harsh college has been on both Claudia and Cherokee - both having to hide their true selves, and conform to what society wants them to be, what their peers want them to be. They're like doves with clipped wings, only able to fly in their dreams, where no-one else can touch them - it's tragic, but beautiful, and only now do both see that perhaps they can be themselves, that perhaps not everyone wants them to conform to society's twisted rules.

"The Downworlders head to Edom in five days." Heron says, looking up from his phone.  
"No doubt I'm among them." I say. I should sound bitter, because I feel it, but I sound oddly relieved. "I mean, I have been a vampire my entire life. I highly doubt Maryse Lightwood thinks of me as a Shadowhunter, even though I've risked life and limb for her descendants on multiple occasions.".  
Heron gently pats my shoulder.  
"Screw what Inquisitor Maryse 'the Downworlders can go to Edom and rot there' Lightwood thinks. She can't see it, but we do - and you're one of the best Shadowhunters that's ever gone through the Institute's doors. Don't beat yourself down about it. People like Maryse aren't worth your time." He says, sincerity written all over his face, bleeding into his voice.  
I smile, a weak, brave smile, like a young polar bear taking its first tentative steps out of its ice den.  
"Thank you." I say. I could say more, but a simple 'thank you' is all that is needed to be said. Plus, Heron already knows what I'm going to say.  
"Don't mention it." He replies, smiling.  
I pick up my Sereph blade from where it lies near my sofa, and gesture vaguely with it, pointing somewhere outside. Even I'm not sure where I'm pointing.  
"Are we going to take down some demons, or are we going to stand here all day and be mushy?" I ask.  
Heron snorts.  
"I mean, I'm down for the second one, but I'll probably get disowned if I don't do the first one." He answers, and I smile fondly at him.  
"You Lightwoods and your extreme work ethic." I say, and Heron smiles.  
"Extreme work ethic or bust, you know how it is." He answers, quoting Simon.  
Sure, we're in the middle of a war, but it's times like these when I realise how lucky I am to have Heron Lightwood as my parabatai.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Claudiona rise! (Again, screw you Seelie Queen!).
> 
> I started this story on a whim - I honestly never knew how beloved it would become with its original audience. It still astounds me.  
> I hope you guys are enjoying it too :D


	38. Hell Is Where the Heart Is

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shadowhunters' blood is red, Heron's lips have gone blue, find a hiding place quick, because Lilith's coming for you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's title comes from the phrase 'home is where the heart is'.

I stay on the balcony while the Nephilim do their angelic duties, and I lose myself in my own thoughts. My thoughts are my music, and I've been lost in them for what feels like forever. First I manage to royally piss off Devan, next Devan joins the Clave, next I'm sent to a mundane college, next I Turn Claudia... My life is one big jagged tapestry, nothing ever making sense, no bigger picture ever being formed. But isn't that what a Shadowhunter's life is supposed to be like? They're trained to kill demons from as soon as they can walk, so they don't have time for families or other sentimental stuff like that. But I'm a Shadowhunter, and in stark contrast to the majority of Shadowhunters out there, I would genuinely like to have children at some point. I may be sterile (due to being a vampire), and I may not be a brilliant father, but I'd love to have children. I've been told it's hard, but it's all worth it in the end.  
"Hey, Royo!" Heron calls from the living room.  
I turn around, and walk back inside, closing the balcony doors behind me.  
"Yes?" I ask, peering at the leftover Chinese takeaway on the desk. "Are you going to clean that up?".  
"I'll clean it up later." Heron replies, innocently. "But I thought you had a right to know that Maryse is trying to sanction you.".  
I pause. What?  
"She's trying to what?" I ask, flabbergasted and confused.  
"Basically, she's trying to get you exiled to either Wrangle Island or Edom. Surprisingly, the Clave is in your favour." Heron answers.  
I should be concerned about the exilement part of Heron's answer, but I'm concerned about the 'Clave being in my favour' part. Why would the Clave - that absolutely hates me, and will do anything to get me exiled - be on my side? What have I done wrong this time? I think for a while on this, and then it suddenly hits me in the middle of watching some mundane programme called 'Poirot'.  
Devan.

I leg it to the Institute, my boots crunching on the packed ice and snow, and make it there in about ten minutes, skidding on the polished floor inside. I find Luke and a few others (namely Raph, Cherokee and Alec) in the observation room, just staring at the security footage of Edom. Clearly, it's not good, as most of it is blocked out by moving demonic bodies. Lilith's in the background, nursing a wound on her foot - the one I gave her with Raphael, after she pinned Heron to the ground.  
"We can't put Devan down." I blurt out.  
Luke's head flicks over in my direction. Everyone else's heads follow, but a little slower.  
"What?" He asks, incredulously.  
"Maryse is trying to get me sanctioned, right?" I ask, looking mainly at Alec.  
Alec swallows, hard.  
"Yes." He says, after a moment.  
"Heron found out that the Clave is resisting her attempts to do so." I continue.  
Raph spits out his water.  
"What?" He asks, his tone matching Luke's. Alec stands up, looking ready to punch someone.  
"The only possible reason for this is Devan. He's still the Clave's envoy... And I don't know if you remember when he originally handed himself over to the Clave, but the Clave representative there said 'the deal has been made'." I finish. "The deal must've been something about protecting the Downworld, seeing as the Clave has made every move to stop Maryse from sanctioning anyone in the Downworld.".  
Luke looks like he's regretting every life choice he's ever made, Raph looks shellshocked, and Cherokee just keeps swallowing, unsure of what to do. The only non-Downworlder among us, Alec, just stays where he's stood, pinching the bridge of his nose. It's disturbing how much resemblance he has to Maryse, but unlike her, he cares about the Downworld - hell, he even married a warlock.  
"So we've got to keep Devan alive somehow." Alec says, after a heavily pregnant pause.  
"Devan may be dead to us, but we're not dead to him..." Cherokee mutters.  
She's right. All this time we've thought he's betrayed us, but he's actually been protecting us...  
"Uh, guys?" Jace Sr says, popping his head in the room. "Who invited Azazel?".

Azazel stands on the dais in the training room, looking rather proud of himself. He's still wearing that jet-black, pinstripe suit, looking like a very pale, very ill, very evil Tenth Doctor. Or so Simon said the last time we saw Azazel.  
"What do you want?" Alec asks, attempting not to growl. He's failing, and miserably.  
Azazel's eyes glimmer with a demonic gleam.  
"It's not a question of what I want, Shadowhunter, but more of what Lilith wants." He replies.  
We all look at each other.  
"She wants the entire of New York, we know." I find myself saying.  
Azazel hums, a wintry smile beginning to form on his face.  
"Yes, my dear vampire, but she also wants you." He answers. "And the other Downworlders among the lot of you Shadowhunters.".  
Heron and Rune stare at me. I can feel my nonbeating heart skip a beat.  
"I'm nothing special. I don't know what I'm doing half the time, and I'm struggling to deal with all this crap as it is." I say, and I'm not lying.  
"Oh, but you are." Azazel smiles, lifting my chin up with slender fingers. "You see, you're part Nephilim, part vampire... And that is a very beautiful hybrid indeed.".  
Azazel's breath is freezing cold against my face, his fingers like spikes of ice against my chin.  
"Or would you rather the little warlock die at the hands of our Queen?" He asks.  
Magnus makes an involuntary gasp, before managing to control himself.  
"Isn't killing a Princess of Edom against everything Lilith stands for?" He asks, venom in his voice.  
Azazel looks over at him.  
"Maria Rey, a Princess of Edom?" He asks. If it's at all possible, his face goes even more pale.  
"My name is Magnus Bane." Magnus starts. "Maria Rey is my much younger half-sister, and our father is Asmodeus, the Prince of Edom. I'm a Prince of Edom, and Maria is a Princess of Edom.".  
Azazel's eyes glimmer again.  
"Then our Queen will take greater pleasure in killing her." He says, the wintry smile reappearing.  
"Lilith is not my Queen." I say, struggling against Azazel's iron grip.  
Azazel turns back to me.  
"Either you come with me, or the warlock dies. Her brother with her." He says, his voice now as cold as his fingers.  
I take one look at Alec's face and know I can't say no. Magnus means everything to Alec, and without him, Alec probably wouldn't be alive right now.  
"Fine." I say. "But I'm not on your side.".  
Azazel just smiles, opens a portal, and drags me through it. My feet hit ground - orange, sandy ground, and I look around. Pterodactyl-like beings rule the sky, while nothing lies on the ground. It smells like sweat, regrets, and broken promises here.  
Oh, hell.  
I'm in Edom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Azazel had about four lines in Shadowhunters 2B, so I decided to give him more of a chance in this series. Doesn't stop his ass getting whooped by Team Rune though 😂


	39. Free the Beast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More is revealed about Rodrigo's past as he stays in Edom, under Lilith's hawk-like gaze, but perhaps some things are better left unsaid...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Erchomai' comes directly from the books. It's also the title of a Shadowhunters episode (Season 3, Episode 10).

Azazel takes me to a large shack, in the middle of Edom's dusty skyline. The very air in Edom is depressing, and the sight of the shack just makes me want to shy away from the world. But I am a Shadowhunter, and if this is where I die, I will die with my head held high.  
"My queen." Azazel says, bowing low.  
I dare look up, and see Lilith sat on a rocking chair (what?!), looking like a rather pretty middle-aged woman. She looks almost like Isabelle Lightwood. I also register that at some point I've been forcibly dragged inside the shack.  
"Azazel." Lilith says. Is that fondness in her voice? "You're back.".  
Azazel straightens up, and smiles. His smile reminds me of Maryse whenever she manages to one-up one of us Downworlders.  
"Yes." He replies. "And I brought the Shadowvamp.".  
I hold back a snort at my new name. A Shadowvamp. And I thought Daylighter was bad. Lilith gets to her feet, rather gracefully, and takes my chin in her long fingers. They're much warmer than Azazel's ice spike fingers, and actually disturbingly pleasant. They're smooth, like warm silk, but the nails are sharp.  
"What have they done to you..." She says, slowly. There's genuine sadness in her voice, which scares me. She turns to Azazel. "Put him with the girl.".  
Azazel takes me by the arm (gentler than he had, but probably because Lilith is watching him like a hawk), and drags me into the next room over. The only other occupant of the room, lying beaten, bruised and bloodied on the ground, yet somehow still alive, is none other than Maria Rey.

I stifle a gasp. What have they done to her? Azazel leaves shortly after I give in and sit down, and I scoot over to Maria. She's breathing, so she's still alive, but I don't know how well she is.  
"Maria... Maria, can you hear me?" I ask, gently.  
Maria's eyes fly open, and she inhales, hard, in a sharp intake of breath that makes me wince.  
"What, where, who, why..." She gabbles.  
I place a hand on her shoulder.  
"Hey, hey, it's OK. It's OK." I say, gently.  
Maria takes a deep breath, and looks at me. For a few moments, it's just Maria and I gazing into each others' eyes, while Maria's breathing steadies, but then Maria smiles, and I know she's alright.  
"The prodigal son returns." She says, weakly.  
I laugh a little.  
"Indeed I have." I chuckle, and Maria giggles. "What did they do to you?".  
Maria looks at herself. She begins pointing at various injuries, explaining how she got them.  
"This -" she points at a large, thin line on her cheek "- was a farewell from Jonathan...". She takes her time, and it's apparently nightfall when she finishes - if the darkened sky of Edom means nightfall. It could mean that hell is finally freezing over, but that's a good thing, and my luck is never on the good side.  
"Oh." Is all I can say.  
Maria smiles.  
"Don't worry your pretty face about it." She says. "Lilith won't harm you. You're her grandson.".  
Ah. I'd forgotten about Jonathan.

"I had one dream... And they took that away from me too." Lilith says, sadly, after thoroughly examining me. She sets me down on a strangely comfortable seat - that looks like it's made of demonskin - and sits down on one of the larger sofas.  
"If you don't mind me asking..." I begin, carefully. "What was your dream?".  
Lilith's eyes light up a little. I get the feeling that not even Azazel bothers asking that question. Maria shifts uncomfortably next to me, and I let her rest her head on my chest, while I keep an arm around her back, holding on to her left shoulder.  
"You see, I hoped that Edom and the Institute could be on good terms." Lilith begins. "So I hatched a plan to achieve this. I made Jonathan a Shadowhunter, and sent him into the Shadow World under the guise of Sebastian Verlac, to find himself a Nephilim wife.".  
Somehow, I do find Lilith's story interesting - although, Edom on good terms with the Institute? Clearly, she's never met the Clave.  
"He found a beautiful Nephilim woman eventually - Sara Grey, I think her name was - and they eventually came to have a son." Lilith continues.  
"Me." I say, bitterly.  
Lilith nods.  
"That son was you." She confirms, then continues. "But when you were three months old, you went missing. Jonathan didn't know where you'd gone, nor did Sara. And during the 18 years we spent looking for you, Sara realised the truth about Jonathan, and fled, in horror. She couldn't bear the fact that she'd birthed the son of a Prince of Edom.".  
"What happened?" Maria asks, her voice muffled. I'm wondering the same thing. Did she do like Magnus' mother did and kill herself? Or did she get killed by Lilith or one of Lilith's cronies?  
"She was found, three years after she fled, by Azazel, hiding out in London. Apparently she was from there, and so was able to get back so easily. Azazel didn't see any point in keeping her alive, when she'd betrayed us, and snapped her neck then and there." Lilith answers.  
I gasp, and bloody tears sting my eyes. My mother was murdered by Azazel, her neck snapped like she meant nothing at all. Lilith notices my tears, and attempts to console me.  
"Don't worry, Christian." She says. I realise with a hiss that that's my birth name. Of course she'd never refer to me as Rodrigo. "She begged for her life, and went down like a true Shadowhunter, which is what you are now, apparently..." . Her voice has a touch of bitterness to it, and I can't really blame her.  
"Why go through all that effort just to kill the one person who took an interest in Jonathan?" I ask. I'm getting choked up. All this time I thought my mother might potentially still be alive, as Simon once told me that they never found her body, and that usually means the person in question isn't actually dead...  
"His name is Rodrigo." Maria murmurs sleepily, from my chest.  
Lilith's nostrils flare.  
"And in the end... The one thing I could use to get on good terms with the Institute was taken away from me... Turned as an infant and became a Shadowhunter later..." She finishes.  
Something snaps inside me.  
"Is that all I am? A tool to be used for negotiation?" I ask, fighting back every urge, every nerve, every impulse telling my fang teeth to slip out of their sheaths.  
Lilith smiles.  
"You wouldn't understand, Christi - Rodrigo. It's far more complicated than that." She answers, her voice sickly sweet.  
I gently place Maria on the floor in our shared room, and try to control myself. I'm nearly there when I hear a bang from the main room, and realise that Maria is missing.  
"Maria?" I ask, and hare into the other room.  
God, I wish I hadn't.   
Lilith has been blasted to the other side of Edom, and crimson red wings made of pure magic burst out from Maria's shoulders. A reddish aura surrounds her, and I realise just what Magnus meant all those years ago by "never anger an Edomian royal". I also realise that today's conversation makes me a Prince of Edom too, third or fourth in line to the throne - not that I want it. That's the last thing I want.  
"I'm sorry." Maria says, weeping. "I didn't mean to.".  
I smile a little.  
"It's alright." I say, gently. "I don't think she's coming back for a while.".  
Maria drops to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.  
"No, I mean... I just started a war..." She chokes out. "Jonathan's already sent a message to the Institute.".  
I freeze. Oh god.  
"What's the message?" I can't believe I dare ask.  
"Erchomai." Maria croaks. "It means 'I am coming'." .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Maria's actually extremely important!  
> All jokes aside, she's got a bit of a price to pay for summoning Azazel.  
> What will it be, her loyalty or her magic... Or something greater?


	40. When the Wolves Come

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Truths are revealed, moons are watched, and the disgraced return. But when your entire life has been about obeying society's laws, how far will you go to be free?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title for this chapter is actually the title of a song I wrote as the Werewolves' Theme for Down Like A Warlock.  
> I'll post it at some point if you guys actually want to see it.

Maria and I spend a while in the shack, just hugging, finding comfort in knowing the other is alive. The red magic fuelling Maria's veins - the red, angry, demonic magic - calms down after a while, but the crimson wings still remain. She almost looks like a phoenix. In addition to the crimson wings, Maria's warlock marks resurface - her blood-red skin, ebony black horns, and cruel yellow cat-eyes. Staring into those eyes makes me know that Maria will always be anything but cruel, but that isn't what everyone else sees. Muffled sobs become quiet breaths, and powerful auras become waning wards. Edom's dying moon floats precariously above us, above the blast zone, waxy and new. Its shadows seem to bring peace to Maria, who closes her eyes and relaxes against me, her white-hot skin considerably cooler.  
"There's something beautiful in how tragically doomed Edom is." I say, after a while.  
Maria opens her eyes, and smiles a little.  
"Well said." She says. She turns to look at the moon. "I used to spent countless nights doing this, back in Madrid. The moon's always been a thing of beauty and relaxation. Edom's dying moon may be tragic, but it's no less beautiful.".  
I smile, basking in the soft, halflight glow coming from the waning moon. Maria seemed like an intelligent one when I first met her, back at the Oozma Helios party, but I've never known how philosophical she really is.  
"Of course..." Maria says, after a while. "The beauty could be in the fact that Edom's death will mean the death of Lilith, and Asmodeus, and one of the seven realms of monsters will be gone for good.".  
I laugh, feeling better than I have for a few days now.  
"It's like they say." I grin. "The devil is in the details.".

A loud, swooshing noise distracts us from our moon-watch, and we both jump up in unison. There's a large golden portal near us - the unmistakable colour of a Shadowhunter rune-summoned portal. That golden portal is followed by an angry red portal (the same colour as Magnus' magic), which is then followed by an icy, cool blue portal (the same colour as William's magic). No doubt the Downworld is finally here on one of Maryse's many suicidal scout missions.  
"What do we do?" I hear a voice ask. Hold on - that's not a voice of a Downworlder... That's the voice of Jace Jr.  
"Stay close." I hear another voice say. It's William. "You can do that, right?".  
Jace Jr makes an indignant noise of protest.  
"I'm sorry I fight solo." He says, and William laughs.  
Maria and I decide to chance it, to risk it, and leg it over to the group of Downworlders and Shadowhunters huddled together by the still-open portals. Heron sees me, and immediately runs over, enveloping me in a tight hug. I return it gratefully.  
"Oh my god, I thought you were dead." He mutters, into my shoulder.  
I chuckle a little.  
"Well, surprise, I'm not dead." I say, and Heron snorts.  
"Damn it." He replies, and finally breaks away from me. "You left this behind.".  
He holds out a long, thin sword, and I take a minute to admire it. Then it clicks. It's my Sereph blade. I take it from him gently, and hold it out in front of me.  
"Raphael." I whisper. The blade flares to life with a burst of heavenly fire, and I smile. I've still got it.

"You did WHAT?!" Maryse yells.  
One of the conditions for the Shadowhunters coming to Edom was that Maryse would come too (Downworld: 1, Maryse: 0), and she's not enjoying it. I took the time to explain everything that's happened, everything Maria and I have been told (including Maria lashing out at Lilith with her magic, and the wings, and the explosion), and that's just earnt Maria a very disapproving look from Maryse - although Magnus is sticking his thumb up at Maria from behind Maryse's back.  
"I'm sorry, OK? I didn't mean to lose it. I don't even know what made me lash out." Maria apologises, her blood-red face streaked with light blue tear tracks, her hands shaking.  
I noticed that although most of Teams Jace and Rune are here in Edom, we're missing Jace Sr, Cherokee, and Luke. What could they be doing?  
"Does anyone know where our resident werewolves and annoying blonde are?" I ask, peering around to see if I've missed them.  
"Jace was busy talking to Luke and Cherokee about something. Probably when to and when to not wolf out." Alec answers, surprisingly quickly.  
"Thank you." I respond.  
Why should it matter when they 'wolf out'? It's part of them, and this is a war we are fighting - they're probably better suited to fighting in their agile werewolf selves, than in their clumsy mundane bodies. My gaze falls on Maryse, and I realise that that's why they're being warned against when to and when not to 'wolf out', but I smile a little, knowing it'll take more than Maryse to get Luke and Cherokee to listen to Jace.  
"You, warlock, are being put under supervision." Maryse spits.  
Maria nods, sadly, and sits on a large rock, standing by Clary Fray, who looks just as sad.

About two hours after everything's been said and done, everyone's caught up, and I've promised Rune the honour of killing me if anything happens to her, another portal opens, and five figures step out of it. Jace Sr, flanked by four werewolves. Two I recognise, one I feel like I know, and one I don't know. Three are chocolate brown, and one is jet black.  
"Luke." Magnus says, nodding at the wolf with brown eyes. Luke nods back.  
"Cherokee." Claudia says, nodding at the wolf with greyish green eyes. Cherokee nods back.  
Jace Sr nudges the jet black wolf gently in the ribs, who immediately startles awake again, and heaves themselves to their feet. They turn back into mundane form, and smile at us with kind, but damaged, blue eyes.  
"Hi all. My name is Mercury. I'm Cherokee's half-brother. And I only found out an hour ago, so don't look at me like that." He explains.  
Cherokee's half-brother? Cherokee's mother is Maia, and if Mercury is related to Cherokee, that must mean their father is Maia and an unnamed werewolf...  
"Who's your father?" Alka asks.  
"Luke." Mercury answers, pointing.  
"And who's Cherokee's father?" I ask.  
"Jordan Kyle." Cherokee growls, now in mundane form. "Maia is our mother.".  
Wait, so if Cherokee's father is Jordan Kyle, and Maia is her and Mercury's mother, and Luke is Mercury's father, then that means that Cherokee is technically related to... Oh, god.   
I stare into the venom green eyes of the final wolf, who's been staring at me this entire time. They shift back into mundane form, and that's when it all fits together.  
Cherokee is related to Devan.  
"Devan?" I ask, my voice oddly hoarse.  
He nods.  
"Unfortunately." He says, his voice rough from clear disuse.  
"What are you doing here, in Edom?" I ask, wondering just why the hell Devan has returned, and why now.  
"What I should have done a long time ago." He answers, and smiles. "I'm officially back.".  
Rune chokes on the water she was drinking.  
"What?!" She cries, drawing Samandriel.  
"Relax. I'm not here to hurt you." Devan answers.  
Both Heron and I snort.  
"Too late for that, buddy." Heron mutters.  
Luke shifts back into mundane form.  
"It's better now than later, when all is said and done. He's promised to help us, so just let him." He explains.  
"That's lovely and everything, but you can see why we don't trust him, can't you?" I say, a newfound aggressiveness in my tone.  
Luke looks helplessly at Devan, then back at me.  
"Yes, I can." He says, sighing. "But give him a chance.".  
Heron walks up to Devan.  
"Consider this your get-out-of-jail-free card." He says, coldly. "But if you even think about double-crossing us for Lilith, I'll destroy your traitor ass so quickly, you won't have time to say your own name.".   
Devan nods.  
"That seems fair." He says.  
With that, we all take the opportunity to set ourselves up for the night, all the while knowing that Lilith isn't far away. Alone, we're strong, but together, we're unstoppable - and Lilith has another thing coming if she thinks she can take us out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so ends Season 4.
> 
> Season 5 is coming soon, and I will warn you that (I think) 10 characters die (both major and minor). If you cannot deal with gore, violence, and death, I highly recommend you stop reading.  
> Season 5 also features the final battle between good and evil, and what Down Like A Warlock has been building up to - the battle against Lilith.  
> Be ready.


	41. Of Demons and Angels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Early injuries are sustained, and old injuries may prove difficult to fight with, but in this war, there are no limits as to how far they'll go to be free...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brace yourselves for the oncoming storm.  
> The fun facts will end here, and the chapter warnings will start here instead.
> 
> Chapter warnings:  
> \- Major violence  
> \- Moderate gore

A few days after our whole-team reunion, Alec spots movement at Lilith's temporary camp. Lilith herself hasn't actually dared move since Maria's outburst, but Azazel, Jonathan, and Asmodeus have all made attempts to reach us - with no luck, thanks to two very good archers, four loyal guard wolves, and the wards of three very powerful warlocks. The movement in question is several hundreds of demons - and by the looks of things, we can't ignore them for very long. The wards won't hold them back, and we can't let our newfound wolf allies (namely Mercury and Devan) die at their hands - or, well, claws.  
"Action stations, people!" Jace Sr calls.  
I draw Raphael from where it lies in my thigh holster, and activate it, with a burst of blue light. Heron and Rune activate their blades (Gabriel and Samandriel, respectively), with bursts of heavenly fire.  
"Why didn't we account for demons?" Heron asks. "This is Edom, one of the demon realms.".  
Rune snorts.  
"They're only made when Lilith decides to create them." She says. "And I guess she's finally making a move.".  
Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Fiona activate her Sereph blade, and start to run toward a demon, before getting pulled back by Claudia. I can just about make out what they're saying.  
"You're going to make it through that too, right?" Claudia asks.  
"Relax." Fiona giggles. "I'm a Shadowhunter.".  
And with that, Claudia lets Fiona go. I feel Heron shake my shoulder, and snap my gaze back up to his.  
"You ready?" He asks.  
I grin.  
"Let's kick some demon ass." I reply.

I lunge at a pack of nearby Eiodolan demons, and bury Raphael's hilt in one's chest. It falls to the floor with a squeak and a pathetic sounding 'thump'. I pull Raphael out of the dead demon's chest, and set about picking off the other Eiodolan demons - all teeth and wings and claws, and crimson skin red enough to make Maria's skin look pink. I narrowly avoid getting a tail stinger to the chest at one point, although dodging that stinger made me push myself directly into another demon's jaw, and I howl in pain as its teeth tear through my left shoulder. It hurts, but I have to keep hold of Raphael. I manage to punch it in the middle of the eyes, and it lets go, recoiling in pain - which is my opportunity to drive Raphael's tip into its ribs. It bursts into flame, and is engulfed by the stench of despair in Edom soon after. I manage to pass Raphael onto my right hand, and place it down by my feet, sitting on a nearby log, to examine what the demon did to my shoulder. The demon's teeth have created a perfect semicircle of crescent-moon marks on my shoulder, the angry red marks contrasting painfully against my pale skin. The demon's teeth must have contained some sort of poison, because while the blood has stopped, the wounds are turning a sickly green, and I already feel a little woozy.  
"You alright, buddy?" Heron asks.  
I look up, and immediately wish I hadn't - as a wave of dizziness surges through me, and Heron's face is bathed in blood. Whether it's his or a demon's, I really don't want to know.  
"Woah, woah, woah!" Heron cries, and manages to catch me before I topple over. "What did you get attacked by?".  
I lie there, on the dusty floor, looking up at him.  
"I could ask you the same question." I reply, groggily.  
"You first." Heron says, politely, while ramming Gabriel through a Shax demon's chest.  
I reposition myself, to a position in which my brain doesn't feel like it's slowly murdering itself when I look at Heron.  
"There was a group of Eiodolan demons... And I surged forward into them... And there was blood and guts everywherrreeeeeee..." I'm vaguely aware of the fact I now sound drunk. Dear god, what is in those demons' teeth?  
"Riiiiight." Heron says, dragging the word out.  
"Oh, an' then... An' then..." I say, pausing and thinking. "What happen' next? Waha...".  
Heron frowns.  
"Your shoulder..." He says, pointing.  
I look down at it, and then back at Heron.  
"Oh, yeah, it bit me." I giggle. "It... It went 'chomp chomp'.".  
Now all that's left in Heron's face is fear. He quickly activates my iratze rune (after stabbing and killing at the very least five more Shax demons), picks me up in a fireman's carry, and takes me over to where Clary is waiting with Maria.

I'm only dimly aware of the fact that I sound absolutely hammered, but very acutely aware of the fact that Magnus is prodding my shoulder in various places and in various degrees of hardness, and I take a moment to think what could've caused Heron's injury.  
"Wha' happen'?" I ask Heron.  
Heron looks down at me and sighs.  
"I got attacked by a Raum demon. The front claws, so no poison, it was just a large wound. The iratze healed the wound, but obviously there's no showers here, so it looks just a tad worse than it was." He explains.  
Clary exhales in relief, and something, somewhere, in my poisoned, fuzzy mind, registers that Clary is Heron's mother, and was probably freaking out about the wound on his head.  
"AHA!" Magnus yells.  
Heron and Clary jump about ten feet in the air. I just blink uncertainly.  
"What the hell..." Heron says, wearily.  
"I've found an antidote!" Magnus cries, gleefully, just as I clock Rune returning to us. She's holding her side, and that's when I remember that one of her broken ribs from the first Seelie Court skirmish had only just healed, by the time we all got sent to hell - literally.  
"Might as well do it." Heron says. "I don't think I can understand an inebriated Rodrigo if he gets any worse.".  
Rune laughs - a broken, breathy, pained laugh, but a laugh all the same.  
"But I thought we were the best versions of ourselves when inebriated?" She asks, and Heron snorts.  
"I said that once, Rune. Once." He says, exasperatedly.  
Rune snorts too.  
"Yes, and I'm your cousin, so I'm not going to let you forget it." She replies.  
A sudden pain shoots through my arm - the antidote, I'm guessing - at the same time a piercing scream erupts from somewhere near the heart of Edom.   
That's Cherokee's scream.  
The antidote kicks in within seconds, and I'm on my feet mere moments later.  
What the hell is going on?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed my mind, I'm giving you S5Ch1 today.
> 
> And so begins Season 5.  
> I hope you're ready, because the first death is next chapter...


	42. On the Wild Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More details about Cherokee's childhood come to light, while Devan surrenders to his hidden feelings, and wolves stop the magic. Is it worth it for one who's already doomed?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter warnings:
> 
> \- Minor character death  
> \- Mental abuse (sort of?)  
> \- Moderate gore

We all run over, Sereph blades out and magic flaring, to where Cherokee lies, pinned under Lilith's claws. Lilith's tapping her forehead gently, making Cherokee scream in - is that pain, or fear? Is she inflicting a migraine, or forcing her to relive memories she's tried so hard to bury? I don't think, I don't waste a second, and drive Raphael through Lilith's injured hand. She screams, and Heron plunges Gabriel into her injured hand. She screams again, shakes the blades out, and releases Cherokee, who's curled up in the foetal position, shaking violently. Devan and Luke hare after the retreating Lilith, with Magnus and Jace Jr following soon after.  
"Cherokee... Are you alright?" Heron asks, kneeling down to her level.  
"10 years..." Cherokee chokes. "10 years I've spent... Trying to forget...".  
Heron and I don't need her to continue to know what she's on about. Lilith made her relive the night she was Turned by Devan.   
"You were nine?" Heron asks, hoarsely.  
"Eight..." Cherokee sniffles. "But, yes.".  
At some point I register that my jaw has fallen open, and I quickly push it back up. It's bad enough that Devan was the one to Turn Cherokee, but at the age of just eight? He has some explaining to do.  
"Royo?" Heron asks. "Keep your pretty face screwed up like that, and you'll damage it.".  
I manage to school my face into a neutral expression, and sit by Cherokee's side.  
"Can you tell us what happened that day? That way, Lilith can't prey on you again, because you've acknowledged that day happened, and aren't afraid anymore." I say.  
Cherokee takes a deep breath, and sits up.  
"I can try..." She says, shakily.  
Heron and I nod. I stab a Raum demon in the side, and Cherokee begins.  
"I was walking back from something - some karate club, I think - with mum, and it was a really nice day. It was beautiful - no clouds in the sky, really sunny... Pretty much the exact opposite of here. I felt a little uneasy, like there was something hiding in the shadows, but I brushed it off. We got ice cream, and we sat in the shade, licking our cones, and chatting about how nice the day was." She begins. "But then I heard a howl. I wasn't afraid of wolves - rather the opposite, actually, I loved wolves. The majesticity of them, and the beauty in their howls. It had sounded like a pained howl, so I went to see where it was coming from.". She stops, stiffening up.  
Heron squeezes her shoulder, and she continues.  
"It... It was coming from behind the karate club building, and... It wasn't a wolf, per se. It was a newly Turned werewolf. I could tell he was newly Turned - he was shaking, and looking at himself as if he were a monster. I wasn't scared of him, until I saw the massive amount of blood on his body." She pauses, but soldiers on. "He looked like he'd killed someone. And that did scare me. I tried to help all the same, but he just kept giving me this odd look the entire time. Like he was sizing me up or something. I mean, really, what's an eight year old going to do to you? Before I knew what'd happened, I was lying on the floor, my neck felt like it had been ripped open - and it had been ripped open - and mum was yelling at me to stay with her." She swallows. "The other werewolf was nowhere to be seen. My first transformation was that very same night, and although Luke welcomed me into the pack with open paws, my neck was still bleeding, and my self-esteem lay in tatters on the ground. I've never felt like I truly belong anywhere at all." She pauses, and looks Heron and I dead in the eyes. "That was, until I met you lot.".

A few hours later, a bloodied Alka returns to base camp, a long cut on her right cheekbone, and a gaping set of claw marks on her left arm. She's already applied an iratze, and Magnus drops by with the antidote soon enough, but she looks absolutely exhausted.   
"Why is this war so hard to fight?" She asks. "We've won fights against demons before. Every day of the week.".  
"This is monsters, and magic, and..." Heron pauses. "And nothing we were ever trained for.".  
Devan returns a few moments later, a thin slash on his muzzle, and blood dripping from his teeth. The blood isn't his - it's a pale green, so it's undoubtedly some form of demon blood, potentially even ichor. He growls, whimpers slightly, and flops down onto the ground, the action accompanied by a dull 'thud'.   
"Do you think demons get empowered by our blood being spilled in their realm?" Heron asks.  
"I have no idea." I reply. "All I know is that Lilith gets a real kick out of hearing us scream.".  
Heron laughs a little.  
"That's true." He says. "'The Queen of Edom demands your blood'.".  
I snort. Jace Jr jogs back, greenish blood splattered on his face and neck, but generally looking unharmed. Devan shifts into mundane form, and goes to greet the archer.  
"You know, I never realised how cute you are..." I hear Devan say, circling Jace Jr.  
Jace Jr sighs irritably in response.  
"We're in the middle of a war, Devan." He says, coldly. "Now's not the time.".  
I can see Devan pout.  
"Awww..." He says, voice dropping to a sad tone. "When is the time?".  
"I don't know!" Jace Jr whisper-shouts. "When we're NOT in the middle of a war?!".  
Devan sighs.  
"What if we don't survive said war? What does the survivor do then?" He asks, a cold tone appearing in his voice.  
"Move on, probably." Jace Jr replies, almost instantly.  
"Yes, but..." All better judgement leaves Devan, in favour of kissing the archer in front of him senseless.  
Heron coughs.  
"Well... That's something I didn't think I'd ever see happen." He says, and coughs again, louder. "Come on, Devan. Let him go.".  
Devan reluctantly pulls back, and, unsurprisingly, Jace Jr moves as far away from Devan as possible (while still staying within the confines of the base camp).

It's mid-morning, or looks to be by the position of Edom's sun, when I wake up. I don't even remember falling asleep, but I obviously did at some point. I look around me, as to see who's at camp, and my companions are all also asleep. Devan lies curled up by a large crate of spare, unnamed Sereph blades, Heron's head is resting on my chest, Maria's lying on a plank of wood, and Cherokee's made a small nest in the sand. I don't want to know how long she was digging to make that. I move Heron's head gently off my chest, and he grumbles, sleepily.  
"Wha' ti'e ish i'?" He asks.  
"I'm guessing mid-morning." I whisper.  
His eyes shoot open, and he's awake in an instant.  
"Oh, god." He says. "I was supposed to be on night patrol.".  
I pat his shoulder gently.  
"We're in Edom, Heron. There are no night patrols here.".  
Heron relaxes, but stiffens up when he sees Azazel threatening Alka somewhere beyond the base camp.  
"What the hell..." He whispers.  
We both watch, and activate our Hearing runes to hear their conversation. Azazel's about a mile away from Alka, but he's yelling at her in Edomian.   
"You know that show, Supernatural, with the really odd subtitles?" Heron whispers.  
"Yeah...?" I answer, not knowing what this has to do with the argument currently raging on between Alka and Azazel.  
"The subtitles for this would probably be something like '[yells in Edom]'." Heron whispers, and I snort, laughing properly for the first time in about a week.  
"You want me?!" Alka yells. She moves slightly away from Azazel. "Come get me!".  
Azazel's thin lips form a sadistic smile.  
"As you wish." He says, so soft I can barely hear it, and sends a surge of demonic magic toward Alka.  
Before it can reach her, however, I notice a jet-black wolf - Mercury, my heart says, and my brain instantly dies a little bit inside - throw itself bodily at the magic surge, effectively stopping it. The wolf hits the floor with an audible 'thud', and a loud 'crack', and everything goes silent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I bet you didn't see Devace coming, did you :P
> 
> Rest in peace, Mercury Jacobson. You fought well. 💜
> 
> (I counted and there are indeed 10 deaths in Season 5. Mercury is the first. I'm sorry.)


	43. City of the Fallen (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mercury's death sends a shockwave through the already injured and weakened Teams Jace and Rune, and that just leads them to wonder - how can they keep going if they can't protect the most innocent?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter warnings:
> 
> \- Dead character/dwelled-upon death  
> \- Major angst  
> \- Moderate gore

Silence falls in Edom. For about ten minutes, it's just the deadly sound of silence, the noise of a soul being ripped from its body, and the sight of all of us Shadowhunters and Downworlders staring at Mercury's motionless body. Then all hell breaks loose. Enraged, Cherokee shifts into wolf form and legs it toward Azazel, but he's faster. He teleports first to Alka's side, gripping into her tightly, then to Lilith's camp. Cherokee gets blasted back toward Mercury's body, by the force of Azazel's magic, but gets up soon after. Heron, myself and Magnus run down to where Mercury lies, on the cold, unforgiving ground of Edom, and stop in front of his face. His back is twisted at an odd angle, and there's blood - his blood - saturating Edom's parched sand. A small peak of white sticks up from his back - and I have to fight every impulse to vomit.  
"Is he...?" Heron asks, not daring to say any more.  
Magnus snaps his fingers, and a blue magic surge goes through Mercury's body. It does nothing, and Magnus nods, solemnly.  
"He absorbed the full blast of Azazel's magic. It badly injured and weakened him, and the impact of hitting the ground at that speed broke his body in three places." He begins.  
"His spine, his skull, and his neck..." Heron says, looking at the visible injuries.  
He's not wrong - Mercury's back is twisted at an odd angle, the blood is undoubtedly coming from the massive gaping hole in the other side of his head, and his neck, when poked with Gabriel, is all floppy and unnerving.  
"There's nothing we can do for him." Magnus says, eventually.  
Cherokee lets out a loud howl, a clear, broken, pained howl, of anguish and agony. She follows it up with several loud, choking noises, which I know to be the wolf equivalent of sobbing. We all look up to the base camp, where everyone is bowing their heads. I look back to Mercury, and sigh.  
"Ave atque vale." I say. "Hail and farewell.".

Tessa Grey portals into Edom, picks up Mercury's body with extremely gentle hands, and portals back to the Institute.  
"She's put his body on the table in the Institute. We'll be able to say our proper farewells after we return." Magnus says, and we all nod.  
Cherokee is unusually silent, all traces of her previous happiness gone. I can't blame her - the person she just found out is her half-brother was just brutally murdered by Azazel, in an attempt to save Alka's life. Alka got taken by Azazel anyway, so for all we know, Mercury's sacrifice could have been in vain. Magnus sits down beside Cherokee, and rests a hand on her shoulder.  
"It was instant. He didn't feel a thing." He says.  
It's of some comfort, at least, to know that Mercury didn't suffer. If anyone must die here in Edom, I'd much rather it was quick. It isn't comforting to know that if Mercury didn't intervene, Alka would have suffered the same death, but when deaths are involved, it's never comforting to think about. I'd rather Mercury was still alive - I was getting rather attached to the werewolf, and he was Devan and Cherokee's family. In the end, though, it doesn't even matter - we can try all we like, but people will still die. I just feel awful that Mercury was the one to suffer for our mistakes.

"Hi, Maia." I say, after she finally picks up. It's a combination of her extremely busy schedule and terrible cell service, that's contributed to me waiting an hour for Maia to pick up the phone. We eventually decided that telling her about Mercury's death was something that had to be done - he was her son, after all.  
"Oh! Hi, Rodrigo." Maia sounds surprised, but not in the unwelcome way.  
"Hi... Uh, listen, you may want to sit down for this..." I begin.  
There's noises of bar stools shuffling, and Maia makes a small noise of pain, like she's banged her knee or foot on something.  
"I'm sat down... Why do I need to be sat down? Has Mercury gotten a girl pregnant?" She asks.  
I sigh. If he had, we'd all be shocked, but would help both the girl and him through it. Sadly, though, he'll never get that.  
"No..." I say. I struggle to get the words out. "He... We're calling you from Edom, Maia...".  
There's a pause.  
"Isn't that a demon realm?" Maia asks.  
"Yes, it is." I reply.  
Another pause.  
"Continue." Maia answers.  
"I'm so sorry, Maia, but..." There's a sharp intake of breath from Maia's end of the line, but I continue. "Mercury died about an hour ago.".  
Immediately, I hear a loud, anguished sob, and it strikes me just how similar she and Cherokee are. I can't think of anything to say that would comfort Maia, so I just let her cry, and don't hang up. On my end, there's a noise like an explosion, and I look up to see all three warlocks - Magnus, William and Maria - holding up a magical shield, preventing the barrage of demonic magic blasts coming from Lilith and Asmodeus.  
"How... Why..." Maia manages to choke out.  
"He took a blast of demonic magic straight to the chest, and impacted the ground at maximum velocity." I explain. "His neck and spine snapped upon hitting the floor. It was instant.".  
Another burst of loud, anguished sobs, and I feel my face fall into a sympathetic expression, before I school it back into its usual 'resting bitch face' upon realising that Maia can't see me.  
"Where... Where is he...?" Maia manages to say.  
"He's in the Institute. On one of the tables in the main hall." I say.  
Maia makes a noise that sounds like she's attempting to say 'thank you', and hangs up. I walk back to the group, where Jace Jr and Alec are shooting arrows at Lilith and Jonathan, in a way that can only be described as 'rapid shooting in no particular direction, in the hopes that it won't miss'.  
"How did she take the news?" Heron asks.  
"About as well as expected." I reply.  
Heron makes a face of utter sympathy, and looks toward the patch of blood-stained sand, where Mercury's body was removed from.  
"Hail and farewell." He says, softly.  
"I'm sorry it had to be you who suffered for our mistakes." I add.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was so busy on Monday and yesterday, so I'll post up to 5.05 today.
> 
> Also, I'm writing this from the grave.  
> Shadowhunters 3X12 was incredible.  
> "Everything I need is right here in front of me."  
> Watch me sob.
> 
> (And yes, I do realise that Mercury's parents are Maia and Luke - and that's not a brilliant thing - but the logistics didn't work when I did it any other way, so just go with it.)


	44. City of the Fallen (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bills are due and wards are waning... But if that's payment for Team Rune's sins, they have to hope to Raziel that Lilith doesn't demand further compensation...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter warnings:
> 
> \- Minor gore  
> \- Major character death  
> \- Major angst

The warlocks manage to hold off Lilith and Jonathan for a while, and in the meantime, Heron, Clary, Max, and Jace Jr all go off in search of Azazel and Alka. Back on ground zero (our base camp), Rune and I spend about two hours clearing the camp out of demons - Shax, Raum, Eiodolan... You name it, Lilith will have sent it after us. To ease the pressure on the warlocks, Fiona throws a Sereph blade directly into Jonathan's left shoulder, causing him to scream and back away into his camp.  
"Good shot." Magnus says, eventually dropping to the floor in exhaustion. William follows suit, although Maria's wards are still in place.  
A portal opens to our left, and the Seelie Queen, followed by about fifty Seelie warriors, steps out. She gives us all a grim smile, before the warriors charge into the fray, exterminating every demon they come across.  
"Why are you here?" Fiona asks. "After what we did in the Court...".  
The Seelie Queen holds up a finger to Fiona's lips.  
"The Court has frozen, and we have determined that it was Edom that was active again. If we can help you take down the realm of monsters, we shall." She answers.  
"How very gracious..." I mutter.  
The Seelie Queen smiles.  
"Indeed." She says, softly.

After about half an hour, Maria's wards begin to wane, and she too falls to the floor. Lilith, now able to get to us with no wards barring her path, transforms into her monstrous dragon-esque form, and charges. She stops at the sight of Maria reattempting to get her wards back up.  
"What will it take for you to realise you cannot beat us?" She asks, her voice now a little distorted - but with pity present in it.  
"For... For you to actually... Beat us..." Maria answers, gritting her teeth with the concentration of trying to keep her wards up.  
"Maybe you should be careful what you wish for..." Lilith murmurs, and without warning, lashes out, and grabs Maria's neck in her brutal claws.  
Maria gasps, and drops the wards in shock. We all pull out our Sereph blades, but Maryse yells at us to stop.  
"Trying to help was what got that werewolf killed!" Maryse yells.  
Fiona pauses.  
"But if Mercury didn't help, then Alka would've died instead..." She says, slowly.  
"Just don't go near them!" Maryse yells.  
Obediently, we all step back, into ground zero, leaving Maria trapped in Lilith's grasp.  
"You know how Azazel said that your bill would come soon?" Lilith asks, gently stroking Maria's face with her free hand. She looks like she's trying to commit every detail of her great-granddaughter to memory.  
"... Yes..." Maria chokes out. She's struggling to breathe, and I want to help her, but I don't want to die... And Maryse will murder us herself if we help her.  
Lilith smiles, a cruel smile, and squeezes her hand. There's a loud 'snap', and Maria whimpers, but then goes completely silent.

No-one dares speak. No-one dares breathe. Lilith looks at Maria, still trapped in her grasp, sheds a single tear, and then throws her body on the floor, like she's a toy that's been broken. Cuts and bruises still cover Maria's body, from the torture she endured at Azazel's hands before the war started, and the crimson wings flicker a few times, before vanishing completely. Maria's face is a sorry sight; still etched with fear, still extremely young. Magnus, unable to help himself, unleashes a huge blast of magic, sending Lilith flying back toward her camp. He's the first to move to Maria's body, with William, Fiona, Maryse and I following soon after.  
"Is she dead?" Fiona asks.  
Magnus nods, unable to speak. Glittery tears stain his cheeks, and William sniffles, breaking down with emotions he didn't know he had.  
"It's your fault this happened, Maryse." I say, coldly.  
"The death of this warlock girl isn't my fault." Maryse spits, her voice frosty.  
Magnus looks up toward us.  
"No..." He says, hoarsely. "But the reason she died is.".  
Alec runs over, and gently places a hand on Magnus' shoulder.  
"Do you know how old she was, mum?" He asks Maryse.  
Maryse shakes her head.  
"It's not my business to care." She says, icily.  
"She was 19." Alec answers, for her. "19. She'd only just begun to open up to us, as well.".  
Magnus breaks down fully, sobbing over the stilled body of the warlock that once was.  
"You know, I didn't want to have to kill her!" Lilith yells. "But sometimes sacrifices must be made!".  
William sends a shockwave of magic toward Lilith, effectively shutting her up.  
"We have to let Tessa take her now." I say, gently.  
Magnus doesn't move a single muscle. Tessa portals in, and gently takes Maria's bloodied body from Magnus' iron grip, then portals back out again.  
I can't help but feel for him - losing a sibling he'd only just found out about, and begun to love unconditionally, as if he'd known her her entire life.

The Seelies bow their heads in respect, and Jace Sr nods respectfully at Magnus.  
"Hail and farewell." He says, softly.  
Magnus nods in appreciation.  
"Heads-up!" Jace Jr shouts, from somewhere near us.  
We all swivel around, and there, walking towards us, are Heron and Max, dragging the bloodied, bruised, dead body of Azazel. Jace Jr and Clary are following behind. Heron and Max drop Azazel's body in the middle of the camp, for Magnus, Jace Sr, and the others to decide what to do with, and Alec claps Jace Jr on the shoulder. The deathblow is clearly a large arrow, embedded in Azazel's chest - and the only archer that went off to find Azazel was Jace Jr, meaning he's just gotten the first kill of the Edomian forces.  
"Why's Magnus so upset?" Heron asks.  
"Maria just died." I answer.  
Heron winces.  
"I... Yeah, I can understand the pain there." He says.  
"It's Maryse's fault." I say, coldly. "She made us stay away from Maria.".  
Heron's face looks purely sympathetic.  
"But Lilith is the one who killed her, right?" He asks. I nod. "Then the death is on Lilith, but the reason why she died is on Maryse.".  
I groan.  
"That's exactly what Magnus said." I reply.  
Heron doesn't answer, and instead looks over the camp at Magnus. His face is pressed into Alec's chest, glittery tears staining Alec's battle gear. The others are giving him his space, and examining Azazel's body.  
"We need to find your sister." I say, pointedly staring at Azazel, who took Alka.  
"Jonathan has her. I think approaching them with all guns blazing will just get her killed." Heron answers, miserably.  
I look back at the hysterical Magnus, and let myself cry. Maria was just 19 - just 19 out of her eternity - and died the same way as my mother. I vow to end Lilith myself - after all, she is my grandmother, and I am her precious Nephilim grandson. What better person to finish her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was your pancake day?  
> How many did you eat, which toppings?  
> My maximum is 14, with lemon and sugar. My husband's maximum is 17, with strawberries and Nutella.
> 
> Rest in peace, Maria Rey. You fought well 💜


	45. City of the Fallen (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The teams set a course to rescue Alka, but just how long can the strongest of Shadowhunters hold out when the mission goes awry?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter warnings:
> 
> \- Minor gore  
> \- Major character deaths  
> \- Heavy angst

William, finally recovering from draining himself of all of his magic, is able to conjure up a portal, which he says opens out into Lilith's camp.  
"Alright guys, listen up!" Rune shouts.  
Everyone immediately shuts up.  
"I'm splitting both our teams in two." Rune begins. "Here's who'll be staying at Ground Zero while we head off to get Alka back: Jace Sr, Clary, Isabelle, Fiona..." Rune rattles off a full list of already-prepared names, and pauses upon realising that she's said "Mercury" and "Maria" in the list of those to head to Lilith's camp.   
"So, we're all heading over to the Tomb of Horrors..." Heron mutters. "Great. I mean, I know I said I wanted a change of scenery from New York every single day, but I didn't mean Edom!".  
I look over at Claudia and Fiona, who are... Saying their goodbyes? I tilt my head a little to the left, and activate my Hearing rune.  
"Claudia, I don't think you understand. This is Lilith." Fiona says, urgently.  
"Yes, I know." Claudia replies. "Mother of all Demons, Adam's first wife, yada yada yada.".  
"And she can - and will - kill you." Fiona says.  
Claudia sighs.  
"Maybe she will. But I have to help your friends stay alive. After all, they're my friends too." She says, softly. "Also, the hostage in question is your sister.".  
Fiona smiles a little.  
"She's not dead yet, obviously, so she can hold her own." She answers, then tilts her head slightly. "What about you? Will you come back with Alka?".  
"I can try." Is all Claudia says, before she kisses Fiona's cheek, turns, and runs over to us.  
"Are we all ready?" Rune cries.  
There's a chorus of "AS WE'LL EVER BE!" , with one "Aye, aye, captain!" (Simon), and one "No, but I'll be killed either way, so I may as well go out like this." (Heron), and everyone runs into the portal, bidding a fleeting farewell to those staying at Ground Zero. If Maryse has anything to say, no-one hears it.

We all step out of the portal, into an unfamiliar territory. It instantly feels hostile, cold, and oddly regal. Edomian royalty walks here, so that can explain the regal feeling. But it's so much different to Ground Zero - which has now come to feel like home. Waking up in the mornings (or what seem to be mornings), surrounded by friends - no, family - and knowing that they all have your back, is one of the best feelings in the world. There's no good feelings about this side of Edom. We also made Ground Zero our own, personalised and suited to what we're used to and enjoy. It has mini rooms, divided by lines in the sand, hard rock beds, etc... Whereas here, on this uncharted territory, it's barren. Aside from a few pterodactyl-esque demon nests, and a small tent village. There's one tent that's set aside from the other four, and my gut instinct tells me that that's where they're keeping Alka, so I take Heron with me to investigate while the others keep watch.

I peel back the tent 'door', and inside, is Alka, wearing a flowing blue dress, and seemingly uninjured. When she moves, however, bloody injuries - cuts, bruises, the odd graze or two - are obvious.  
"Alka..." Heron whispers.  
Alka turns around, grimacing a little - where the hell's her stele? - and frowns upon seeing Heron.  
"What the hell are you doing here?" She hisses.  
"We've come to take you back to Ground Zero." Heron whispers.  
Alka seems to consider something. After a moment or so, she speaks.  
"I can't go back." She sounds genuinely torn. "If I did, they'd notice, and they'd destroy you all.".  
Alka may be many things, but she is above all loyal. It must be a Lightwood thing, as I don't know a single Lightwood who isn't fiercely loyal to those they care about. Heron holds out a hand, just as we hear a loud, swooshing noise.  
"Take my hand." Heron says. "You'll be alright.".  
Alka hesitates. The swooshing noise gets louder, possibly getting closer. That's one big demon, if it is a demon. It could just be a bit of wind, or it could be Lilith.  
"Are you sure?" Alka asks.  
Heron nods. The swooshing noise gets louder still, and just as Alka takes Heron's hand, a large, silver blade erupts through Alka's chest.

Alka falls to the floor, but is caught by Heron. Jonathan steps through the ruins of the tent, tutting at the bleeding, hyperventilating Shadowhunter.  
"What a shame." He says. "But I did warn her.".  
Rage explodes inside me, and I can feel my fang teeth slip out of their sheaths. It's a struggle to get them back in again, so I can talk.  
"You also warned my mother, and she had her neck snapped by Azazel. The same thing happened to a young warlock about fifteen hours ago, I don't know if you heard, but she'd not broken any laws or anything. She, like my mother, was completely innocent. As was the werewolf Azazel killed a few days ago." I snarl. "Now you've stabbed a Shadowhunter. Do you know how much trouble that can get you into with the Clave?". I'm aware that the Clave is a waste of time mentioning, especially when Alka is dying on the floor, but I'm so angry that I can't help myself.  
Jonathan laughs.  
"Oh, my son - ever the feisty one." He says, coldly. "Always sticking up for those who can't stick up for themselves.".  
My lip twitches, and Heron kicks my foot, hard. I look down, and behind me lies Gabriel, already activated. I look from Gabriel to Jonathan, pray that Raziel won't look at me badly for this (although I deserve to be looked at badly), and pick Gabriel up.  
"Raziel... I am calling to you, not to ask for a wish, or gracefulness, or even bravery... But to ask for forgiveness. Not for my previous sins; I've come to peace with them, but I'm asking for forgiveness... For what I'm about to do." I pray, then wait until Jonathan shuts up, and stab him through the chest. Gabriel goes cleanly through his demonic body, and for a moment, there's silence. Then Jonathan bursts into flames and disappears, and a loud scream sounds from somewhere nearby - Lilith. It's soon accompanied by shouting, and the sounds of magic bolts being fired, and the sounds of a Shadowhunter combat.  
"You did it." Alka breathes. "You... You killed Jonathan.".  
I look down at Gabriel, and realise that I have in fact killed Edom's prodigal son. Gabriel flickers and extinguishes, and I place it down next to Heron. I examine the wound on Alka's chest. It's huge, it's gaping, and it's bleeding badly. The sword that impaled her went to oblivion with Jonathan, so there's no way of telling just what it did to her (other than the obvious gaping wound). She's struggling to breathe now, her pained gasps reminding me of Maria's final moments, of Lister's final moments, all those months ago. It almost feels like years ago that Lister died, but it was only about nine months.  
"You know... It's funny..." Alka gasps, looking at Heron. "I've spent... So long... Trying... To convince you... That I... I hate you... But here... Here I am... Dying in your arms...".  
Heron shifts slightly, and Alka winces.  
"You're not dying, you're just... Badly injured." He says, stroking her cheek.  
Alka's laugh comes out as a death rattle.  
"I... I got impaled..." She answers.  
Heron looks up at me, desperately. I shake my head sadly, a pang erupting in my chest for both Alka and Heron. Heron and I look back down at Alka, whose eyes are now glossing over.  
"No... Alka, stay with me..." Heron pleads.  
Alka manages a weak smile.  
"I... I always... Loved you.., baby brother..." She chokes out, and then she's completely still.  
The tears spill on Heron's cheeks, and he lets out a long, pained, violent scream. He sobs over his sister's body, willing for anyone to tell him that he's been hallucinating. I leave the tent, giving Heron his space, and I'm greeted by seven or so bloodied, sheet-white faces. I shake my head, and they all drop their gazes to the floor. The only sound on this side of Edom, aside from Heron's violent sobbing, is a softly spoken "Hail, and farewell.".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so ends 5A. 5B is coming soon.
> 
> Rest in peace, Alka Lightwood. You fought well 💜
> 
> Also rest in peace Jonathan, although I'm not sure what else to say here.  
> Fun random fact about me for you: My middle name is Jonathan :P


	46. City of the Fallen (Part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the wake of Alka's death, those closest to her are consoled and held close, while the Seelies try and lift some of the weight off the combatants' shoulders. But in a war like this, just where do you stand if you're right on the firing line?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter warnings:
> 
> \- Major angst  
> \- Mentioned character deaths  
> \- Minor gore

Everyone's faces are ashen-white. The remains of several demonic bodies lie on the floor, throats cut and spines twisted at odd angles. Nephilim aren't people of immense gracefulness when it comes to killing demons, so as long as it's dead, that's good enough.  
"Pequeño..." Raph says, softly.  
I look up, and find that the ashen faces of my friends have dispersed, and only Raph is stood by me. I can't find it in me to say anything, and Raph just gently holds my left cheek, the way he did when I was a baby.  
"It is alright, Pequeño." He says, softly. "Jonathan is dead.".  
I nod, and, unexpectedly, sniffle.  
"I killed him..." I croak.  
Raph looks mildly amused.  
"I knew he had been stabbed with a Sereph blade, but I did not know that you had done it." He says, a glimmer of (what appears to be) hope crossing his face. "Well done.".  
I can't be sniffling over killing Jonathan - although, for all he was a monster, he was my father. Maybe I'm allowed to be a little confused.  
"Thank you." I eventually say, and Raph nods, letting go of my cheek.  
"Get your parabatai, and we will head back to Ground Zero." He says, and then shudders a little. "This part of Edom gives me the creeps.".

William has to sedate Heron, in order for Tessa to retrieve Alka's bloodied body, and Max manages to pick Heron up fireman-style, and run through the portal with him to Ground Zero. Raph and I run through, shortly followed by Rune, William, and everyone else who went to the other side of Edom. Clary's sat on a box near Magnus, fiddling with strands of her absurdly red hair, and my throat goes dry. How do I tell her that she's lost her eldest child? How do I tell Jace Sr that he's lost his firstborn? Looking over at Heron's sedated figure, placed gently on his bed by a bruised Max, I know that I have to tell them... But how?  
"Clary..." I say, gently. Clary's head flicks up faster than I could say 'Nephilim'.  
"Yes?" She asks, sounding somewhat urgent. I don't blame her - she's probably waiting on Alka walking through the now-waning portal.  
"I..." My voice cracks, pathetically, and I try again. "I'm so sorry, Clary, but...".  
I can't find it in me to finish my sentence, but I will myself to all the same. Looking into Clary's bruised, injured face, and sincere green eyes, makes me force it out.  
"Alka was killed by Jonathan." I finally say.  
Clary gasps, and immediately begins sobbing. Jace Sr runs over, and after confirming it to him, too, he goes sheet-white.   
"Is there any good news in this?" Jace Sr asks, after a few moments.  
"Good?!" Clary yells, hoarsely. "GOOD?! Alka is dead!".  
I shift in my feet.  
"I managed to kill Jonathan, shortly after he impaled Alka." I say.  
A grim smile breaks on Jace Sr's face.  
"Thank you." Is all he says, before sitting down by Clary, and attempting to soothe her.  
I nod, and walk back over to my parabatai's unconscious body. Maryse lingers nearby, muttering something to Alec about 'how if they hadn't just charged in, Alka wouldn't've died'. Alec makes a noncommittal grunt, and I fight back the urge to punch Maryse. Doing that would get me sanctioned for good. If we hadn't gone to find Alka, she likely would have died anyway - the bruises and cuts, and blood, on her body, covered by the dress, show that she was being tortured over at Lilith's camp. She may have been a Shadowhunter, but even the strongest of Shadowhunters can't hold out for much longer than Alka had.

It's around dawn when Heron wakes, the Seelies just marching back from their extensive search. A quick conversation confirms that the Seelies have found nothing, and that Lilith has moved yet again.  
"Please tell me that was all just a nightmare..." Heron croaks. I turn to look at him. He's a sorry sight - he's slicked in sweat, with puffy red eyes and an unusual pale air to him.  
My heart breaks. What do I tell him? It wasn't a nightmare - Alka's pierced, bloodied, bruised body is lying on a table in the Institute right now - but can he cope with the truth, just mere hours after Alka's death? It feels like we've been in Ground Zero for months, yet it's only actually been about a week. Mercury died the third day in, Alka was taken by Azazel sometime then - or possibly after Maria's death - and Maria died about two days after Mercury. Alka died just fifteen hours after Maria. How much more do we have to lose? How many more will we lose?  
"I'm so sorry, Heron, but it wasn't." I say, and let Heron cry into my chest with no complaints.  
The Seelies discuss battle plans with Jace Sr and Alec, seven hours after Alka's death. I know the clock is ticking for some of us, but I hope to Raziel that it's no-one we particularly love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so begins Season 5B.
> 
> Also, no-one died this chapter, whoop whoop. There will be deaths in the remaining 4 chapters though, just to warn you.  
> Thankfully there are no deaths in the Epilogue, just mentions of the ones that occur here.
> 
> I'll be posting the remains of Down Like A Warlock today - thank you if you have read this far!
> 
> Share on Twitter or other social medias, and tell your friends.  
> I'm sure this fic isn't as bad as I think it is 😂


	47. City of the Fallen (Part 5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Seelie Queen thinks she's got it sorted, but when she's proven wrong, Asmodeus may take revenge just a little too far...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter warnings:
> 
> \- Major character deaths  
> \- Major angst  
> \- Minor gore

At some point, the Seelie Queen walks over to where Heron and I sit, Heron's tears saturating Edom's parched sand. She doesn't seem to harbour any contempt toward us, even though we decimated half of the Seelie population, down in the Court, and smiles a little icily at me, before beginning to talk.  
"We have agreed our conditions to helping your people - as we also have conditions with Lilith's people, in order to preserve the Seelie race." She says. It sounds a little frosty, but I can't blame her.  
Heron wrenches himself to his feet, puffy eyes staring directly into the Seelie Queen's. Now that I pay attention to Heron's eyes, I can see that they can only really be described as cobalt.  
"Listen, your majesty, there's so much that you don't know about Lilith." He says, sounding urgent.  
"No?" The Seelie Queen scoffs. "Do enlighten me.".  
Heron sighs.  
"She's probably already broken your deal - Raziel only knows what that was - and can, and will, go against your back. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she murders you just to make a point." He explains.  
The Seelie Queen's face pales.  
"Well, I have my reasons to trust her." She says, but she sounds unsure. "I hope she has her reasons to trust us.".  
And with that, the Seelie Queen walks off again, over to her lackeys.

A few hours later - no more than ten hours since Alka's death - Lilith returns on the edge of the wards, doing her best to break them. William and Magnus, fuelled by the pain and grief of Maria's death, keep the wards up, strong and steady. The Seelies have already mounted their defence, just in case Lilith breaks the wards.  
"When do you think she'll tire?" Heron asks.  
"Not anytime soon." I reply.  
Lilith's teeth are gritted, and, in pure anger, she shifts back into her demonic dragon form, momentarily taking Rune's breath away.  
"When you said she was ugly..." She says, slowly. "I didn't dare believe you.".  
The Seelie Queen walks over, and admires the wards.  
"They are very strong indeed..." She mutters, wonderously, and then raises her voice. "You certainly were correct, Mr Bane.".  
Magnus, holding up the wards, only grunts in response.  
"So what was your deal with Lilith?" Heron asks, turning to the Seelie Queen, who smiles.  
"Asmodeus could be freed from Edom, provided he doesn't harm your people." She answers.  
Magnus makes a noise halfway between a yell and a grunt. I have to resist the urge to punch the Seelie Queen.  
"And you thought that was a good idea? Millions in New York will die, your majesty." I say, gritting my teeth.  
"That, unfortunately, is not my concern." The Seelie Queen replies, and gestures at a few of her scouts to attack, while Lilith is distracted.

Heron and I watch the scouts in semidetached wonder, as they slowly, surely, creep around the wards, and round to the back of Lilith. When they reach Lilith's back, they all draw their swords, raise them, and bring them down into Lilith's scaly back. One gets caught in her left wing. Lilith screams, and Magnus and William manage to bring down the wards.  
"Did they do it?" Rune asks, in a hushed whisper.  
"Far from it." Magnus croaks.  
We all look at Lilith, who's turning around in circles, thrashing violently, attempting to remove the Seelie blades from her back. Her left wing stays where it is, clenched at a painful angle, and bent a little, as if its owner intended to take flight. No-one dares to do anything, for fear of distracting the screaming Edomian Queen. Eventually, Lilith gives up completely, and turns to face us all. The Seelie scouts lay dead on the floor by her, all of them having been stomped on in Lilith's mad scramble to remove their blades from her body.  
"You traitor!" Lilith screams, in a slightly distorted voice.  
The Seelie Queen doesn't even flinch.  
"You remember the deal?" Lilith asks, lowering her voice a little.  
"I do indeed." The Seelie Queen replies.  
"Then you must also remember the part that said 'I will not harm any Edomian native, while in Edom'?" Lilith asks.  
The Seelie Queen's face pales.  
"I..." She says, unable to say anything else.  
Lilith heaves herself to her feet, and grabs the Seelie Queen's neck, tightly. Blood is running down her back, in every area pierced by the Seelie blades.  
"You broke our deal, which means you are no longer protected." Lilith growls.  
Every emotion possible runs through the Seelie Queen's face.  
"You... Wouldn't..." She gasps.  
Lilith gives her a grim smile.  
"I would." She says, and squeezes.  
The Seelie Queen's lifeless body falls to the floor mere moments later, as Lilith retreats, and Asmodeus takes her place, stepping over the Seelie Queen's body, like she's a rock in the sand. The Seelies all stare at the body of their Queen, and then at Lilith, who's visibly weakened by their blades. Asmodeus' first order of business is to knock both Magnus and William unconscious (which makes Alec growl), and then walk over to me.  
"I was told about you..." He says, gently stroking my cheek. "The forsaken Prince of Edom, who's caused so much trouble for his family...".  
I can suddenly feel Asmodeus' sharp nails on my cheek, drawing blood, making me hiss.  
"What if we were to take that impure family away?" He drawls.  
I know what he means, and I look over at everyone else, to see Simon and Raph's faces paling even more than they already are.  
"They've done nothing wrong. Leave them alone." I say, as bravely as I can muster.  
Asmodeus smiles, and lets me go.  
"No." Is all he says, before a Shax demon sneaks up behind Simon, and impales him squarely in the chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two deaths in the space of about ten lines, look at that - I'm on a roll.
> 
> Rest in peace, Simon Santiago-Lewis. You fought well 💜  
> Rest in peace too, Seelie Queen. You were great for plot purposes.
> 
> I feel horrible for killing off Simon, and it did make me really unpopular with this series' original audience, but from a writer's standpoint, it was necessary to give Rodrigo the ultimatum/reason to want to take down Lilith.  
> If he didn't already have one.


	48. By the Angels Above

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when someone in Teams Jace or Rune die? Raziel appears to console and inform them. Using what Raziel has told him, can Rodrigo work with Heron and Rune to take down his own grandmother and end her reign of terror?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter warnings:
> 
> \- Major angst  
> \- Mentioned character deaths  
> \- Major character death

The Shax demon holds its tail stinger in Simon's chest, steadily, and all of a sudden, Simon just explodes into a cloud of smoky dust, evident of being staked. I'm dimly aware of someone screaming - a loud, pained, agonised scream. It takes me a moment to realise that the scream is mine, that I'm the one screaming. My fang teeth have already been freed from their sheaths, glinting in the dying light from Edom's moon. Bloody tears cloud my vision, and I can just about make out someone punching Asmodeus with all they have, while feeling a pair of hands - strong and sturdy - hold onto my shoulders. The unmistakable sound of a portal sounds out, but then disappears within seconds. It'll have been Tessa arriving to take the body back to the Institute - but there's no body to take. I fall onto the floor, sobbing into Edom's harsh sand, while Raph sticks by my side, holding me with all the might he doesn't dare allow to crumble.

When I wake, I notice that everyone's kept their distance - and all I want currently is someone to stay by me, to assure me that everything will be alright. Was this how Heron felt when Alka died? At least he got to hold her body. Before I even have a chance to wallow in my own self-pity, a voice makes itself known in my head. A clear, pleasant, pure voice, almost like that of an angel.  
"Be calm, Angelwalker." The voice says. "Simon Lewis is safe with me now.".  
I try speaking, but I can't. No voice comes out of my sore throat. I likely damaged my vocal chords, but that's such a trivial thing to worry about when Simon's just died. Instead, I try and think of a response.  
"How do you know that? What do you mean? What is an Angelwalker?" I think.  
There's a soft chuckle, obviously from the other voice.  
"I am Raziel, young Angelwalker." The voice says, softly. "The Angel who made the Shadowhunters.".  
Raziel? The Angel who made the Shadowhunters? The Angel that the Shadowhunters dedicate their minds and bodies to?  
"What do you mean, Simon is safe with you?" I ask.  
"Simon is now in my kingdom, young Angelwalker. He is safe." Raziel replies, softly.  
But... How? Only Shadowhunters get into Raziel's kingdom, and Simon was a vampire.  
"How?" I ask. "He wasn't a Shadowhunter.".  
Raziel chuckles again, lightly.  
"No. That is true." He says. "But the equality between the Shadow World and the Downworld has always been recognised in my kingdom. The only monsters that exist in this world are the monsters that we make of ourselves.".  
"So... Why are you telling me that Simon is safe with you?" I ask, suddenly finding that I want more answers than I can possibly get. Raziel may be an all-powerful angel, but surely he can't know everything.  
"Because Simon Lewis wanted you to know, that whatever you may do in life, he will be proud of you. No matter what happens to him, he will be looking down on you from my kingdom, smiling upon you." Raziel answers, his pleasant voice echoing a little.  
"What..." I pause, and try again. "What is an Angelwalker?".  
Raziel chuckles.  
"Why, you are an Angelwalker." He answers. How very vague.  
"That... That doesn't answer my question." I say, slightly irritated.  
Raziel makes a soft noise of agreement.  
"An Angelwalker is a hybrid between a Nephilim and a person of the Downworld. In your case, you are a hybrid of a Nephilim, and a vampire." He answers. "But you are special, in that you were born a pure-blooded Nephilim, despite having demonic heritage.".  
I pause a little.   
"How is that possible?" I ask.  
Raziel muses this over for a few moments.  
"I do not know. All I can think of it is that maybe your mother's purity overrode your father's evil. That is the most likely reason." He answers.  
"Huh." Is all I can think to say.  
"The battle is drawing to a close, young Angelwalker." Raziel says, rather suddenly. "You must not give up fighting.".  
I pause, and find a smile emerging on my face.  
"Is there anything I should know, before getting back out there?" I ask.  
"Your friends have disposed of Asmodeus, and your blade - Raphael, I believe - is your greatest asset here. Your parabatai and better half will be your best guides." Raziel answers.  
"Alright." I say, getting ready to go.  
"One last thing, Angelwalker." Raziel says. I pause, and make a noise for him to continue, so he does. "Even though your father cannot give you an eternity, you can still seek out your own. Do not let others govern your life. Go, young Angelwalker. Your destiny awaits.".  
I smile, and Raziel goes, leaving a pounding headache behind. Everything hits me like a ton of bricks - Raziel must've frozen time for me - and everyone runs over.  
"Are you alright, Pequeño?" Raph asks, looking extremely concerned.  
"I'm fine." I lie. In truth, I'm not. Simon has just died. "The Angel Raziel appeared to me, and he told me a few things.".  
Everyone looks at each other. I peer past where Alec is stood, to see Magnus hovering over the bloodied, bruised, evidently dead body of Asmodeus, and then back to Raph.  
"Well, if you were informed by the Angel..." Isabelle begins.  
Rune and Heron are just grinning stupidly.  
"Come on, Royo." Heron says to me, taking my hand. "We have an Edomian Queen to take down.".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried something a little different with this chapter. Raziel angel radio. I quite like how the effect turned out, although it does seem a little odd if you're not looking at it with a slightly skeptical mindset.  
> Oh well. It serves its purpose.
> 
> Rest in peace again to Simon Santiago-Lewis. He wasn't quite dead last chapter. Whoops.


	49. Enlightened

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maryse can't stop Rodrigo and his right hand man and woman (with the aid of Magnus) from attempting to kill Lilith - but will they manage it, especially when weakened by grief?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter warnings:
> 
> \- Major character death  
> \- Minor character death  
> \- Moderate gore  
> \- Major angst

Heron drags me forward, into the armoury of Ground Zero, and Rune joins us, quickly followed by Magnus. Maryse twitches in the background, but makes no effort to stop us suiting up. I pull on my new Shadowhunter suit, and pull Raphael out of where it wedged itself in the ground.   
"Looking good, Royo." Heron says, smirking a little.  
I pause.  
"Feeling good, Heron." I answer, and Rune rolls her eyes fondly.  
Maryse finally realises what's going on, and starts frantically yelling at us to go nowhere near Lilith. Heron rolls his eyes, and Rune smirks a little.  
"You will do no such thing, I am the Inquisitor, and I do NOT approve of this mi--" Maryse is cut off by an arrow making itself at home in her left shoulder, and falls to the floor, completely unconscious.  
"Shut up." Jace Jr says, wearily. He looks like he's been crying.  
Heron snickers a little, and he, Rune, Magnus and myself all set off, for where Lilith likely awaits us.

"The realm that never sleeps..." Rune says, softly, gazing around at Edom's dying skyline. "Maybe now it can finally rest.".  
Magnus makes a soft noise of agreement, from where he's walking behind us with Rune, and then makes another noise of protest.  
"That is..." He says, slowly. "... If we kill Lilith.".  
Asmodeus' prison looms in front of us, and from the sudden change in the atmosphere around us, we can all tell that this is where Lilith is hiding.  
"She's hiding?" Heron whispers, almost as if he's read my mind. "What a coward.".  
We enter the shack wearily, knowing that Lilith will take any opportunity to kill us where we stand, and find her in demonic form in the back room.  
"Your majesty!" Heron yells, in greeting. "We have come to end your reign of terror!".  
Lilith turns around, growls, and sends a flood of demonic magic our way. Magnus reacts quickly, creating a powerful magical shield around himself, Rune, and Heron, while I take cover behind a pillar.

"You've taken everything from me!" Lilith screams, her voice getting more distorted the angrier she gets. "Now it's time for me to take everything from you!".  
Magnus grunts.  
"Haven't you already?" He asks, looking pointedly at me.  
I hiss a little, the reminder of Simon's death still too much to deal with. And then I remember Raziel's words. I look around, and find a crumbling wall that I can climb up, Assassin's Creed style, to reach a sticking-out beam to balance on. I gesture from my pillars to the others, who nod, and attempt to start distracting Lilith.  
"So, um, what was your... Inspiration for your... Your, um, lovely... Camp?" Rune stumbles her words a little, but Lilith seems to get the message.  
"Shadowhunters come here all the time to stop me." She growls, and tries to attack Rune, but is stopped by the shield. "I thought it would be a reminder of their imminent deaths.".  
I scale up the wall relatively easily, and look at the beam in front of me. If I can get to the end, it puts me ever-so-slightly behind Lilith. From there, I can jump off, and drive Raphael through her back. That should kill her. If it doesn't, Rune has Samandriel, and Heron has Gabriel, so they too can assist.  
"This is it... " I can hear Heron whisper. "Your majesty, have you ever thought of investing in the stock market?".  
I can hear Rune hiss something that sounds like "Are you bloody mental?!", and manage to get up onto the beam. I tiptoe along it, crouched down a little - mainly to minimise the risk of falling off the edges - and finally reach the end.   
"No." Lilith replies, and sends another flood of demonic magic their way, which is once again blocked by Magnus' magic shield.  
"Raphael." I whisper. The blade flares to life with a burst of blue light, and Lilith howls in pain at the sudden brightness. From where I'm crouched, I can see every Seelie blade stuck in her back, every line of blood the blades have made, every small injury that we've caused. Raphael will only be another small indentation to her skin, but it will hopefully also be a killing blow, to the Edomian Queen who's caused so much anguish and pain.  
"No? I mean, it'd be great for you, because you could kill your competition and nobody would know." Heron says, slowly.  
"This is for Mercury, for Maria, for Simon, for the Seelie Queen, for Alka, for the Seelies you killed the other day, and for everyone else who's suffered because of you." I say, and Lilith turns toward me.   
She actually looks scared - scared that her chosen grandson, the prodigal son of Edom, will kill her.  
"You wouldn't..." She says, her voice sickeningly soft.  
"It's like you said to the Seelie Queen..." I say, slowly. "I would.".  
Rune grits her teeth upon seeing Magnus close to fainting. Heron takes one look at Magnus, activates Gabriel, and runs forward, embedding Gabriel in Lilith's chest. She screams, and Rune takes this as an opportunity to yell.  
"RODRIGO, DO IT NOW!" She yells.  
I don't need to be told twice. I take a few steps backwards, then straighten up, run forward, and drive Raphael deep into Lilith's spine, getting stuck partway through. Lilith screams again, and thrashes around violently. Unable to hold on to Raphael, I'm thrown to the wall, and slide down it, hitting the floor behind Rune, Heron, and an unconscious Magnus with a dull 'thud'. Rune runs over, and takes my left hand in hers. Heron drags Magnus over to where we are by his ankles, and we all shield ourselves behind an overly large pillar, just as Lilith explodes.

We all step through the portal created by William, into Ground Zero, and almost immediately see Alec sobbing into Jace Sr's chest. It takes me a second to figure out why, but then I see Isabelle Lightwood's bloodied, bruised body, lying lifelessly on a large crate. Her body is covered in wounds, and it seems she was brutally assaulted by a bunch of demons. William portals out of Ground Zero, and back in again within a few moments, holding the hilts of Raphael and Gabriel. Heron and I take them with a quiet 'thank you'. Rune just stares in shock at her mother's body, and goes over, to pay her respects. She steps over one of Isabelle's sprawled-out legs, and gently kisses her mother's bloodied cheek.  
"Hail and farewell, mother." She says, her voice quivering.  
Tessa Grey portals in, and gently takes Isabelle's body from where it lies on the ground, and portals back out again. William and a mostly-recovered Magnus create two large portals, and we all step through them, into the Institute, where the bodies of the dead lie on cold white tables.  
"It's over." I say, slowly. "We won.".  
There's a few weak whoops of joy, and a few genuine whoops of joy, and Raph gently places a hand on my shoulder.  
"I am not sure we did win, Pequeño..." He says, sadly.  
"Why this?" I ask, fury building in my blood. "Why them, why the innocent?".  
Jace Jr turns to me, tears welling in his green eyes for those we've lost.  
"Things we love completely..." He says, his voice broken. "We are fated to destroy.".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lilith is FINALLY dead. All rejoice! We've only been waiting 49 chapters for this 😂
> 
> Rest in peace, Isabelle Lightwood. You fought well 💜
> 
> 1 chapter until Season 5 ends, and then there's the Epilogue.  
> God, I can't believe I ever made it this far.


	50. Down Like A Warlock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mental strength is put to the test, and just where does love really lie? All Team Rune knows is that this is only the start of their careers - but they know they will be able to count on each other, and face anything as long as they're together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter warnings:
> 
> \- Major character death  
> \- Dead characters  
> \- Extremely heavy angst
> 
> (I'm sorry)
> 
> There is, however, a somewhat hopeful ending :)

Brother Zachariah steps into the room after a moment or two, soundless footsteps echoing in the darkest parts of my mind. He glances at the bodies briefly, touching the left shoulders of them all, paying his own respects.  
"It is time for the Rite of Mourning." He booms, and we all shuffle.  
I can't take part in it, seeing as Simon never left a body behind. I wonder, will I leave a body, or will I just implode/turn to ashes like Simon did? Rune walks forward, bravely, representing Isabelle. Magnus walks forward, a grim expression in his face, representing Maria. Heron walks forward, already near tears, representing Alka. Luke walks forward, still in wolf form, representing Mercury. An unnamed Seelie General (who I believe to be Regan, although I can't quite tell) walks forward, showing no trace of emotion, representing the Seelie Queen. Finally, Brother Zachariah gestures to Raph, and points at a small bedside table with 'Simon Lewis' written on a placeholder on it. Raph squeezes my shoulder, and walks forward, stiffly, representing Simon.  
"Each say the names of the --" Brother Zachariah stops midsentence as the unmistakable sound of a portal fills the Institute.  
Tessa Grey stumbles out of the portal, holding a battered, bloodied werewolf. Another battered, bloodied werewolf manages to limp out of the portal, before collapsing in pain and exhaustion in front of Jace Jr. Tessa gently places the wolf in her arms down in front of me, and that's when I realise who it is. The wolf is extremely badly injured, bleeding in places I didn't know a wolf could bleed, and softly whining with the pain of keeping itself alive. I gently tap it's nose, the area with the least amount of scratches, and the eyes open wearily, like it just doesn't want to live anymore. Venom green eyes greet me, cloudy with the effort of living, and I notice the tell-tale sparkle of some flame of long-extinguished hope in its pupil.  
It's Devan.  
I gently hold Devan's body with one arm under it, holding onto his right shoulder, and keep one hand on his face, by his nose. He whines a little more obviously at the sudden movement, and I make an apologetic face. I realise everyone is watching us, and I look up at Magnus.  
"Can you heal him?" I ask, my voice sounding unfamiliar to my own ears.  
Magnus shakes his head after a heavily pregnant pause. I look down at Devan, whose erratic breathing has only become more erratic, whose pulse currently races at a million miles an hour, whose eyes have once again closed with the pain of staying alive.  
"No, no, no, keep those eyes open for me." I say, oddly calmly.  
Devan's eyes open again with a small whimper. He makes a strangely sad sounding noise, then his eyes flutter shut, and he is still. Brother Zachariah and Tessa hurriedly clear another table, and guide me to it, to place Devan down upon. He's oddly light for such a massive wolf - although I suppose that's because life no longer inhabits his body. I place his body gently down on the table, and don't leave his side. Tessa and Brother Zachariah can't make me, so they don't.

"Please each say the name of the deceased." Brother Zachariah booms. His voice sounds oddly kind, for an emotionless monotone.  
"Our Queen." The Seelie General says, also in a monotone.  
Luke growls, which Raph translates as "Mercury Jacobson".  
"Simon Lewis." Raph says, eyes going misty with bloody tears that threaten to spill.  
"Al... Al... Alk..." Heron stops, takes a deep breath, and tries again. Brother Zachariah looks on with sympathetic eyes. "Alka Lightwood.".  
"Maria Rey." Magnus says, grimly. "Or, if you prefer, Samara Bane.".  
Rune shifts on unsteady legs, that threaten to give way.  
"Isabelle Lightwood." She says, her voice quivering. She turns away, and I don't need to look to know that she's crying.  
"Devan..." I pause. "Devan Garroway.".  
And that's when my tears fall. Jace Sr catches me, and I just sob into his chest. I sob until there's nothing left. I'm dimly aware of the ritual going on in the background, and I'm fully aware when Brother Zachariah slams his staff down on the floor.  
"The souls of those lost are with Raziel now." He says, then leaves, his footsteps silent and unforgiving.  
I can't help but smile ever-so-slightly. I knew Simon had made it to Raziel's kingdom - Raziel himself told me. Knowing that Devan has even the slightest chance of getting there too makes me feel so much better - yet I'm still torn apart. It's been so long since we've seen each other, with him dancing around the Clave's rules to protect us all, and me out killing demons. I weep again, for my former best friend, for the Devan that I used to know, and for the Devan that just died.

A few months after the Edom War, Underhill steps down as Head of the Institute, and I'm informed by Jace Sr himself that I am now the Head of the Institute.  
"Alec's too destroyed by Isabelle's death to take it." He says, gently.  
I nod.  
"But why me?" I ask. "Why a Downworlder?".  
Jace Sr smiles, his incandescent golden eyes twinkling in the light, in spite of him losing his sister and his eldest daughter.  
"You're not just a Downworlder, in the same way that you're not just a Shadowhunter. You're an Angelwalker, Rodrigo. The best of both worlds." He says, smiling still. "Not to mention, we know it was you who killed Lilith.".  
I look away from Jace Sr's incandescent gaze. It's true, I killed Lilith, but I don't feel good about it. Yes, it ended the Edom War, and destroyed Edom, but I still had to kill her. For whatever reason, I feel bad about that - she loved me, even if I didn't love her. And I killed her for that. I can't feel good about causing her death.  
"Thank you, Jace." I say, smiling bravely.  
He nods, and smiles, then walks out of my Institute room. I'm not alone for long, because Rune and Heron join me soon after. They both sit on either side of my bed, Rune on my left, Heron on my right.  
"Congratulations, Head of the Institute." Rune says, softly.  
"I can't believe it... You, of all people. Mr Tact and Diplomacy." Heron says, his voice only further conveying his disbelief.  
"I can't either." I mumble.  
Heron exhales loudly, while gently bro-hugging me like his life depends on it. Rune makes a soft noise that sounds like "Oh, Royo...".  
"We've got your back." Heron says, sounding suspiciously like he's crying. "Forever and always.".  
Rune confirms this too, joining in the hug. A gentle knock sounds on the door, and both break away, giving me one last fleeting smile each, before letting Raph take their place.  
"My dear Pequeño..." Raph murmurs, holding onto my left cheek.  
"I can't do this, Raph." I say, urgently. "I've spent my whole life being the exact opposite of a Shadowhunter - how the bloody hell is a vampire supposed to run an extremely prestigious Institute?".  
Raph smiles a little.  
"You are an Angelwalker, Pequeño. Angelwalkers can do anything." He says, smiling.  
"They can't bring people back from the dead." I mutter, gloomily.  
Raph's face softens.  
"None of those deaths were your fault, Rodrigo." He says, sharply.  
I flinch upon hearing both my real name and Raph's tone.  
"You may not feel like you are perfect, like you are a good candidate, but I have seen you grow into the man you are today - and I can tell you that you are absolutely right, you are not perfect. But you are a brilliant candidate." He begins.  
"How...?" I mumble, sleepily, against his chest.  
"You are intelligent, loyal, and value the opinions of others. You are a hard worker, and you will not stop until the wrongs are put right." He answers, then smiles. "And besides - you may not be perfect, but you are my son.".  
This brings another flood of tears, and I cling to Raph in much the same way as Heron was clinging to me earlier.

A month or so after being appointed Head of the Institute, I find myself back in my apartment, reading a book on the Vitas Veritas that Claudia found for me.  
"Urgh, finally back." I hear from the doorway. I walk back into the living room, where Rune's just removing her body armour.  
"Destroying Edom didn't stop the demons?" I ask, incredulously.  
Rune laughs, a long, mirthless laugh.  
"Far from it." She says. "They're all coming from Muspelheim and Judial now.".  
"Well..." A voice says, from the kitchen doorway.  
We both turn around to see Heron, merrily chewing on a Cornish pasty.  
"They've got another thing coming if they think they can take us down." He says, through a mouthful of pastry.  
Rune laughs, and after a moment, I do too.  
Healing from Edom will take years, perhaps decades, maybe our whole lives, but it will never undermine who we are. Even sidelined by grief, we are Shadowhunters - but we are first and foremost, family.  
We live, breathe, love, and die in the middle of wars and battles. We lose what won't return, and fight to gain what we cannot take with us. We fight for a better world, in a world clouded by judgements and fears of the unknown. We bleed and mourn over those who control us, over who we used to be. We fight to survive, in a world designed to destroy us.  
We are Shadowhunters.  
And we will never stop fighting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so ends Season 5, and the main story of Down Like A Warlock.
> 
> Rest in peace, Devan Garroway. You were a pain, but you had your demons, and you fought well regardless 💜
> 
> And, of course, the final chapter is the name of the fic, because I'm a sentimental idiot and I thought it would be symbolic.
> 
> Have you guys enjoyed the ride?  
> Let me know, let your friends know, let Twitter or whatever else know - after all, I created this fic to share with the world, which is why it's on here.


	51. Edom: 20 Years Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 20 years after the Edom War, Rodrigo reflects on the impacts of the war, and looks toward a more hopeful-looking future, with his wife, children, and ever-annoying parabatai by his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the Epilogue!  
> It's still a little angsty, but mostly it's hopeful.  
> Before the light comes the dark.  
> Before the rise must come the fall.
> 
> Thank you all for reading this fic that randomly popped into my head one day.  
> I just hope you've enjoyed it. 💜
> 
> (See the end notes for the dedications and full list of thanks.)

It takes everyone several years to adjust to what happened in Edom. To adjust to losing not just parts of themselves - internally, mentally, and/or physically - but also to losing those they'd loved, indirectly losing parts of themselves. The war in Edom claimed the lives of Isabelle Lightwood (Rune's mother and Alec and Jace's sister), Simon Lewis (one of my dads and Raph's husband), Mercury Jacobson (one of Cherokee's two brothers), Alka Lightwood (Jace and Clary's eldest child, whom Jace was nearly killed due to the death of), the Seelie Queen (who decided to help us, even though we nearly decimated her realm), Maria Rey (Magnus' much younger half-sister), and Devan Garroway (Luke's son and the other of Cherokee's two brothers). Magnus had always mentioned how cruel Edom could be, and I never believed him - until it took Simon. I'm unconsolable for a number of years after Simon's death, and it's surprising how much Raph really cared about the mundane he Turned the night he met Clary. Everyone tells me that Simon would be proud of who I am now - Head of the Institute, and one of the fiercest Shadowhunters the Clave has ever had the misfortune to anger.  
Eventually, though, we all manage to process and come to terms with what happened in Edom. The dead are laid to rest, with all remaining members of Team Jace and Team Rune wearing white and green - the colour of mourning, and a colour that just seems somewhat visually pleasing. It's only eleven years after the war in Edom, when my six year old son learns the Shadowhunters' Nursery Rhyme, that I realise what it all means. 'White silk when our bodies burn,' and 'Green will mend our broken hearts.'.  
Edom claimed the lives of my father, Rune's mother, Jace's daughter, the Seelie Queen, Cherokee's two brothers, and Magnus' sister, but it will never, ever claim our spirits. If there's one thing we're not defined by, it's what happened in Edom.

\- 20 years later -

"Daddy! Daddy!" Elijah comes running up to me, and I steel myself so that I'm not bowled over. Elijah has all the strength of a dog that mundanes like to call 'Labradors' - bouncy, floppy-eared dogs, that like fetching things.  
"Eli! Eli!" I reply, imitating Elijah's excited tone. Elijah's face droops a little. "Sorry." I add, quickly, remembering that he's always been a sensitive little Nephilim.  
"Daddy, you'll never guess what I did today!" Elijah all but shrieks.  
"What, what did you do today? Did Fiona show you how to cover your mother in glitter?" I ask, and the very mental image of Rune covered in glitter makes me snort.  
Elijah shakes his head, his fluffy blonde hair poofing up everywhere.  
"Clary showed me how to stab a demon!" He cries, his vivid green eyes shining. His eyes are so green, they remind me of Devan's. "And, and, and...!" - He breaks off, remembering that he does indeed need to breathe - "I killed my very first demon!".  
This causes a smile to break across my face, and I hug Elijah. He's fourteen, and has just killed his first demon. I killed my first demon at twenty. Although, I did only become a Shadowhunter a week before my twentieth birthday.  
"That's amazing!" I grin, and Elijah grins too.  
"When did you kill your first demon?" Elijah asks, green eyes suddenly wide and serious.  
I pause. Do I want to admit that I killed my first demon about five years later than everyone else? I heard Rune killed her first demon at twelve - and that doesn't surprise me.  
"I..." Before I can form a sentence, Heron walks in. My trusty parabatai, and basically brother by now. Always showing up with no warning whatsoever.  
"He killed his first demon at twenty, Elijah. He was a little hesitant, all tact and diplomacy - 'what if it has a family?'." Heron answers for me.  
I breathe out, hard, through my nostrils.  
"Do your kids mind you doing this?" I ask, and nod at Elijah, confirming what Heron's just said.  
Heron turns to face me, and smiles one of his charming 'I will kill you in your sleep' smiles.  
"Asher does it too. Morgen's too busy throwing Sereph blades into walls to care." He answers, and I grin.  
"Now who does she get that from?" I ask, smiling at Rune, who's just sauntered in. Magic darts in, and hides behind Rune. The little Seelie's only four years old, but she's smart.  
"Your wife, undoubtedly. Who, by the way, has made it her mission to make sure all the Shadowhunters are trained with Sereph blades by the age of fifteen, and all Downworlder Shadowhunters are trained with other blades by the age of fourteen." Heron answers, unapologetically letting sarcasm overrun his voice.  
"Should we go over to Magnus' place? I think he's holding a dinner party for us all." Rune asks, breaking the uncomfortable mood.  
Heron and I nod in unison, and all the uncomfortableness dissolves as we collapse on the floor, laughing uncontrollably.

Magnus smiles upon seeing Rune, Elijah and myself, and ushers us in. Magic stays stuck to Rune's legs, too scared to do anything else. I gesture to Rune and Elijah to go and sit down, which they do so, and manage to unstick Magic from Rune's legs. I kneel down so that I'm at her level.  
"Are you alright, Mimi?" I ask Magic, using the nickname Magnus gave her when we found her. She was so tiny - oddly small, for a Seelie's offspring. I also remember Jace and Alec's astonishment when Rune and I announced that we were adopting the tiny Seelie. Alec just had to wisecrack 'What, was adopting a Nephilim too boring for you?' after the shock had subsided, referring to when we formally adopted Elijah.  
Magic's beige-swamp green eyes meet my crimson red, and she shakes her head.  
"What's up?" I ask her, gently. Seelies can't lie, so I know whatever she tells me will be the truth.  
"What-what-what if... What... What if they... If they don't like me?" Magic stammers, eyes shining with tears.  
Part of me wants to cry with her.  
"They all love you, Mimi. Magnus and Heron might be a bit hard to handle, but they all love you." I say, gently.  
"Are... Are you... Are you sure?" Magic asks, rapidly blinking to try and get rid of the tears.  
"Positive." I reply, smiling, and hold out my hand.  
Magic takes it after a minute of thinking, and we walk into the living room together.

"Mr and Mrs Santiago-Lightwood!" Magnus announces, as I enter the room. Rune and Elijah smile at me from their seats, and Magic and I join them. The seats are comfortable, and Magic's been placed next to Rune - the person she trusts above everyone else. Sure, Rune's a fierce warrior woman, and a badass who will not hesitate to kick your ass, but she does have a rather large soft spot for Elijah and Magic. I only wish I was so lucky.  
"You made it." Heron remarks, from across the table. I smile at him.  
"Can't get rid of me that easily, Lightwood." I reply, and Heron's face breaks into a brilliant grin.  
"I'm glad." He says, after a while. "The parabatai rune would give me hell.".  
I can't help but laugh, and as the first course arrives, I look around the table to see who else is here. Claudia and Fiona, Cherokee and Ramode, William and Sumire, all with their children. It's amazing how we all managed to have children after the horrors of Edom, but then again, I've always been told that having a tiny version of yourself to look after helps make everything more real, helps distract you from the terrors of your past.  
If anything good came out of the war in Edom, it's the fact it made any existing bonds stronger, and opened the gates to a new wave of Shadowhunters.  
Being a successful Shadowhunter isn't about having angel blood - it's about how far you're willing to go for the ones you love, how much you'll sacrifice to protect your friends, and how long you'll hold on, even when the whole world is telling you to let go.  
A lot of things are still unsure about the lives and loves of us, our children, those we helped save, but...  
Two things are for sure -  
The world is in safe hands,  
And the legends have never been more glittery.  
After all - life finds a way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story of Down Like A Warlock is finally over. I can't believe it.  
> (There is, however, a continuation in the works. Is anyone interested, or are you content with how Down Like A Warlock has ended?)
> 
> With thanks to:  
> \- All those who read this fic, kudoed it, bookmarked it, and maybe even just read the first chapter.  
> \- The fic's original audience, for helping me shape its final storyline, give me the characters and plot opportunities necessary to finish the fic, and helping me get the confidence to post the fic here.
> 
> With special thanks to:  
> \- My loving husband, for sticking by my side, always.  
> \- My beautiful family, for being there when I needed ideas or inspiration.  
> \- My huskies, for being general pick-me-ups when I had writer's block.
> 
> Dedications - this fic is dedicated to:  
> \- My younger and older sister, who both have sadly passed away. My older sister wasn't the kindest to me at all, but she was still my sister. My younger sister was the kindest soul who ever lived, and a true spitfire. Her death caused a massive depressive spike in my life, and I honestly don't think I'll ever get over it.  
> (The following are all nicknames to protect their identities)  
> \- Jay, for being one of the core original readers, for creating Jacob Herrington, Claudia Zimmerman and Morley Henderson, and for dealing with my crappy jokes and frequent existential angst.  
> \- Bratty, for being one of the core original readers, for creating Harlow Charklin, Rune Lightwood and writing fanfic for this series (something that came as a complete shock to me and I will never get over how sweet it was), and for also dealing with my crappy jokes and frequent existential angst.  
> \- E, for being a part-time original reader, and full-time amazing friend.  
> \- Spiddles, for being a crackhead in the original comments section.  
> \- Killjoy, for just being there when I needed someone, and having a presence that never failed to make me smile on a bad day. I got better because of you 💜
> 
> This fic is also dedicated to the readers, the writers, the supporters, the dreamers, the lost, the found, the broken, the damned, and everyone inbetween.  
> Your dreams can (and will) come true.  
> You can get better.  
> Take your dreams, hold them tight to your heart, and never, ever, let go.  
> Because, like Rodrigo (and the guys who made Jurassic Park/World) said...  
> Life finds a way.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy the mad ramblings of this story, and I hope it can entertain and shock you as it did with its original audience.  
> Please let me know what you think, your theories going forward and your hopes to see in future chapters, and thank you for reading!
> 
> Please be warned that around about where season 3B starts, the story starts to get very dark, very quickly. If you are not a fan of dark things or just cannot handle them in general, I suggest you do not go further than season 3A.


End file.
